Chanu Nimesha

Chanu Nimesha is a Sri Lankan LGBTQ rights activist, transgender politician and social activist. She contested the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election which was held on 14 November 2024 and made history as the first official transgender candidate in Sri Lankan political history to contest at the General Elections.

Biography

She was born in the Southern Province, Galle. Her father was one of the victims of the 1989 political insurgency, and her family was directly impacted by the catastrophic political situation in Sri Lanka during that occasion. Her father was reported to have been killed in the political insurgency in that year. Her family members later abandoned her in anger after her failed attempts to convince them that she identified herself as transgender. Her family members apparently cut ties with her altogether which forced her to move to Colombo in pursuit of better prospects and opportunities. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, she revealed that she had developed a firm interest in politics at her young age and she insisted that her bookcase had been predominantly occupied with books about socialist and leftist ideology.

She identified herself as transgender in a country where LGBTQ was not yet legalized and the rights of the LGBTQ community in Sri Lanka had been in an abysmal situation and at its lowest ebb. The LGBTQ community is often viewed with negative perception in the Sri Lankan community, and the LGBTQ-related stereotypes have often put individuals under vulnerability such as social rejection, public humiliation, and embarrassment.

Career

Nimesha was a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ community and she spearheaded various activities to make awareness about the LGBTQ community. She had also collaborated with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna for a longer stint but she parted ways from JVP due to creative differences with the party's policies.

Nimesha made the decision to contest the 2024 Sri Lankan general election despite her gender classification of being a transgender woman. Nimesha contested the November 2024 polls from the Kegalle District, representing the Socialist Party of Sri Lanka, as one of the party's main candidates. Her political rally and campaign predominantly focused on tacking social justice issues.

She raised funds for her activism related works and political campaigning by serving as a quantity surveyor at a construction site which is located in close proximity. She also works as an actress with little to no experience, while also pursuing an interest in music. She has also engaged in writing books which are slated to be published in the future. She also took part in nationwide Aragalaya protests to dethrone the then Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was accused of mishandling the Sri Lankan economy, resulting in a severe economic crisis for Sri Lanka since its independence.

She coordinated to organize the Pride March as part of the 2022 Aragalaya protests at Galle Face, and under her guidance, the first LGBTQ parade was held in Sri Lanka. She and her LGBTQ members joined the Aragalaya movement and installed a tent, protesting alongside other sets of protesters focusing on LGBTQ discrimination issues.