'Felt the taboo associated with transgender community disappear today,' says the priest who led the service at Anannyah's funeral

Kollam: Hundreds poured in to pay their respects to transgender activist Anannyah Kumari Alex who was cremated at her parish, St Joseph's Church, Perumon, Mundackal in the district on Thursday.

Those who attended the ceremony felt the taboo often associated with the transgender community vanish in the hours leading up to the funeral of the 28-year-old, who was found hanging at a flat in Kochi on Tuesday.

Parish priest Fr Sajan Walter said he had never experienced anything similar before. "You could feel the love the people had for Anannyah," Fr Sajan Walter told Onmanorama.

"Though there are restrictions due to COVID-19, hundreds had come. There were police officers and crime branch officials but they couldn't stop the overpouring of emotions," said Fr Sajan, who had anticipated protests, which was non-existent.

The funeral services had begun after 6 pm and had involved a mass at the church. Anannyah's family members and most of the relatives also attended.

"We're thankful to everyone who came today and prayed for Anannyah," said Thomas, a cousin of the deceased.

Thomas said that though many members of the family were not in approval of Anannyah coming out, there was hardly any objection at the funeral of the person whom they used to lovingly call Sanu.

Meanwhile, friends and members of the LGBTQ community said that they received an email response from the chief minister's office that said that the DGP has been entrusted with an enquiry into the alleged medical negligence that Anannyah had claimed before her death.

Earlier in the day, the post-mortem performed by a team of senior doctors at the Ernakulam medical college had ruled the death as a case of suicide.

The health department and the social justice department have also set up enquiries into the death of Anannyah, who was reportedly under severe trauma after a sex reassignment surgery had went wrong.