Apsara Reddy this month became the first transgender person to be appointed as general secretary of the Mahila Congress, the party’s women’s wing. Before plunging into politics, Reddy worked as a journalist and transgender activist. For a long time, members of India’s nearly 3-million-strong transgender community have been an oppressed sexual minority. Being legally invisible, they have battled hard to gain acceptance and recognition. Apsara Reddy’s appointment has offered new hope to members of the community. “I felt that having a political platform was extremely important for me. I think you can do a lot of good for society and also become part of think tanks that shape social policy. It also gives us a chance to infuse some new-age sensibility into politics to make real change happen,” said Reddy.