22-year-old Heidi Saadiya from Kerala made history as she became the first transgender broadcast journalist from the state.
According to reports, Saadiya joined a Malayalam news channel called Kairali on 31st August and started with talking about the Chandrayaan-2 lander as her first report.
Saadiya also talked about her journey and how people have opened up to the LGBTQ community,
After my post-graduation course in electronic media from the Trivandrum Institute of Journalism, I was working as an intern with Kairali TV. After interning for a week, the company offered me the post of ‘News Trainee’ after evaluating my performance.
This is a profession that I feel has no discrimination. The newsroom feels like a second home to me. I hope the LGBTQ community gets more such inclusive work spaces in future.
Kerala’s Health minister KK Shailaja too congratulated Saadiya on her achievement,
Chavakkad native Saadiya has made a successful move at a moment when Chandrayaan 2 lander, ‘Vikram’, successfully separated from the orbiter. She’s the first transgender broadcast journalist from Kerala.
But reportedly, Saadiya’s journey was not very easy as her parents never accepted her sexuality,
At home, they have still not accepted me…they may have seen the lifestyle of transwomen in other states. I won’t blame them. They may have thought that I would bring them bad reputation.
After alot of struggle, Saadiya aims to move forward with her life. She wants to try her luck in the movie industry, where she wants to act and probably even direct a film.