Sheethal Shyam
Sheethal Shyam | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shyam C. S. September 3, 1982 Thrissur, Kerala, India |
| Occupations | Activist, writer, actor, public speaker |
| Known for | Transgender rights activism |
| Awards | Kerala government's Trans Achieve Award. |
Sheethal Shyam (born Shyam C. S., on September 3, 1982) is an Indian transgender activist, writer, actor, and public speaker from Kerala. In 2016, she received the Trans Achiever Award by the social justice department, Government of Kerala.[1]
Early life and background
Sheethal Shyam was born as Shyam C. S. on September 3, 1982, in Thrissur, Kerala, India, into a middle class Roman Catholic family; her father was an auto-rickshaw driver and her mother a homemaker.[2][3]
She experienced gender dysphoria from an early age and faced discrimination and violence during her school years, which led her to discontinue formal education.[2] After dropping out of school, she worked at various places, including an aluminum company, a studio, and the construction industry, but faced discrimination everywhere for dressing as a woman, and decided to leave Thrissur and move to Bangalore.[3]
After moving to Bengaluru in 2001, she came in contact with Sangama, an LGBT rights group.[2] She later returned to Kerala and now lives with her partner Smintoj.[2]
Activism
Sheethal Shyam has been active in LGBTQIA+ and transgender rights movements in Kerala for more than two decades. She was a founding member of Queer Pride Keralam in 2009, a collective advocating equality and visibility for sexual and gender minorities.[4][5]
In 2012, she served as secretary of the Sexual Minorities Forum Kerala (SMFK) and contributed to India's first transgender survey.[4] She has also been associated with the formulation and advocacy processes surrounding Kerala's transgender policy, one of the earliest state-level transgender welfare policies in India and also served as a member on the Kerala State Transgender Justice Board, the first transgender justice board formed in India.[4]
She founded an organization called Voice in Thrissur to bring the issues of transgender communities to the attention of the general public.[4] In 2017, she founded Dhwaya, an organisation promoting artistic opportunities and empowerment within transgender communities.[4] In 2018, she established Mazhavil Dwani, described as Kerala's first transgender theatre troupe.[4]
Sheethal served as a Councilor and later Manager of the Pehachan Project, a five-year project, aims to provide HIV prevention services for men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender and hijata communities.[6][7]
Sheetal was the first one to receive an IFFK transgender pass.[8] She was also the first to receive a transgender membership card from State Central Library established in 1829 in Kerala.[9]
Shyam frequently participates in literary festivals, academic forums, and cultural events across India, speaking on gender identity, representation, and social inclusion.[4][10][11]
Cultural and media career
As a columnist, she wrote Kerala's first queer column in the Mathrubhumi Azhchappathippu.[4]
She has acted in the films Ka Bodyscapes (2016), Aabhaasam (2017), Otta (2021), Vishudha Rathrikal (2021), STD XE 99 Batch (2023), and the short films Wedding, Avalotoppam, Color of Trance, Chilar, and Chalanam.[4][12]
She participated as the guest of honor of the government at the 2016 International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and also served as a delegate committee member at the 2021 IFFK.[4]
In 2018, she formed the first transgender theatre group in Kerala called Mazhavil Dhvani and took the initiative to present the play Parayan Maranna Kathakal (meaning:Stories forgotten to tell) in various states of India.[4] In 2019, she was appointed as the Assistant Stage Manager at the ITFOK (International Theatre Festival Of Kerala) by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.[4]
Awards and honors
Sheethal Shyam received many other awards including the Kerala government's Trans Achieve Award, Born to Win Award, Kudumbashree Vaibhav Award, Movie Street Award, Nizhalattam Award, and George Kunnappilly Award.[4]
As an actress Sheetal Shyam won the best actress award at the street film festival 'Nizhalattam' organized by Manaviyyam in Thiruvananthapuram.[13] She received the award for her performance in 'Avalkkoopam', directed by Kuku Babu.[13]
References
- ^ Joseph, Neethu (2019-03-09). "Trans Achievepeople Awardmust have tools to tell their own stories: Activists at Kochi Biennale". The News Minute. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
- ^ a b c d George, Anubha (2018). "Transgender and proud: Sheethal Shyam on her remarkable journey from activism to acting". Scroll.in. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b "കഷ്ടകാലത്തിന്റെ കടുംനിറം മറന്നു ശീതൾ ശ്യാം മനുഷ്യരെ നന്മ പഠിപ്പിക്കാൻ ഇറങ്ങി: ഭിന്നലിംഗക്കാരെ അംഗീകരിക്കാൻ മലയാളികളെ പഠിപ്പിച്ച മലയാളി മറുനാടനോടു മനസുതുറക്കുന്നു | Interview with Sheethal Shyam". marunadanmalayalee.com (in Malayalam). 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Sheethal Shyam – Speaker Profile". Wayanad Literature Festival. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ "Sheethal Shyam". Mathrubhumi. 23 January 2018.
- ^ "KLF 2027 KLF | Kerala Lit Fest | Literature Festival | Literary Festival 2027". keralaliteraturefestival.com. Kerala Literature Festival. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
- ^ "Media workshop by Pehchan project". The New Indian Express. 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
- ^ "Sheethal Shyam lauds IFFK accepting transgender as a third category". OnManorama. Malayala Manorama.
- ^ "In a first, public library gives membership to transgender". The New Indian Express. 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
- ^ "All genders need space of their own, says Sheethal Shyam".
- ^ "Sheetal Shyam- Speaker in Kerala Architectural Festival KAF –2019| Keralaarchitecturalfestival.com". keralaarchitecturefestival.com.
- ^ Manu, Meera (11 June 2017). "Transcending barriers | Transcending barriers". www.deccanchronicle.com.
- ^ a b "ട്രാൻസ്ജെൻഡർ സമൂഹത്തിന് അഭിമാനം; മികച്ച നടിയായി ശീതൾ ശ്യാം". Vanitha.in (in Malayalam). Vanitha.