India
Transgender Advocate Riyana Suree Turns Personal Struggles into Support Network for Tamil Nadu’s LGBTQ Community
Riyana Suree, a 36‑year‑old transgender woman from Dindigul, has turned her own difficulties into a platform that helps other transgender people in Tamil Nadu find education, employment and housing. Born in 1990 and raised in Tiruchy, Riyana realised she was a girl at age 12 and began her formal transition in 2006. Her family, led by her father D Soosai Sagayam and mother Insiya Mary, took time to accept her identity, but her sister‑in‑law Gayathri Lenin played a key role in fostering understanding.
Riyana earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics from St Joseph’s College, Tiruchy, and a postgraduate degree from Jamal Mohamed College. She also excelled in dance, winning several competitions. In 2013 she applied to private companies, including IT firms, but faced repeated rejection because of her gender identity. The experience shook her confidence, and she later joined the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) as an outreach worker, earning Rs 8,000 a month. She supplemented her income with dance performances and teaching, though many potential students withdrew once they learned she was transgender.
A turning point came in 2018 when a photographer discovered her photos on Facebook and invited her to a photoshoot. The exposure led to modelling assignments and participation in beauty pageants such as Miss Trichy, Miss Koovagam, Miss Trans Queen India and Miss South India Trans. In 2023 she won the Miss Universe Trans India title in New Delhi, giving her a national platform. She now mentors contestants and conducts interview sessions as national director.
In 2019 Riyana founded the Thiru Aval Trust, officially registered in 2022, to address the gaps she experienced. During the COVID‑19 pandemic the trust distributed food to transgender people and others in need. It now supports education, employment, livelihood and medical assistance for about 30 transgender individuals. The trust connects students with sponsors; for example, S Sayeesha from Tiruchy received help to complete an MSc, BEd and teacher training, though she still seeks a private school job and is preparing for government exams.
Riyana also provides accommodation and sponsorship for students. Joshka Jasmine, 30, from Thanjavur, was offered a home while studying at Government Law College, Tiruchy, and later became a lawyer advocating for transgender rights. Joshka and Sowmiya Shashu, 37, were honoured at the 2026 convocation as the first transgender graduates since the college’s founding in 1980. They highlighted the community’s demand for horizontal reservation.
The trust has experimented with livelihood projects, running a restaurant that employed five transgender people from 2021 to 2023 and distributing surplus food from events. It also offers medical support, including for transgender people living with HIV. Riyana plans to partner with the Iravi Trust to host an LGBTQ‑themed fashion runway in Tiruchy, showcasing transgender talent.
"When I did not get an opportunity, I wanted to create one for someone else," Riyana says. She believes the greatest reward is seeing others overcome the challenges she once faced and live with self‑respect.