RondaWaddell840 at 00:28, 16 October 2025

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{{Short description|Indian politician and journalist}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2016}}
'''Apsara Reddy''' (born '''Ajay Reddy''') is an Indian [[trans woman]] politician and journalist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cinema.vikatan.com/tamil-cinema/interview/41152.html|title="எனக்கு நானே ஒரு கிஃப்ட்!" - அப்சரா ரெட்டி {{!}} அப்சரா ரெட்டி|date=2013-07-11|website=www.vikatan.com/|language=ta|access-date=2019-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112195124/https://cinema.vikatan.com/tamil-cinema/interview/41152.html|archive-date=12 January 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was earlier inducted as National Spokesperson of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) by former Chief Minister [[J. Jayalalithaa]] in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/nov/20/after-khushbu-sundar-apsara-reddy-deserts-congress-to-rejoin-aiadmk-2225904.html|title = After Khushbu Sundar, Apsara Reddy deserts Congress, to rejoin AIADMK| date=20 November 2020 }}</ref><ref name="supportive">{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/apsara-reddy-on-how-supportive-the-city-has-been-to-her/article68497395.ece |title=Apsara Reddy on how supportive the city has been to her |date=August 8, 2024 |website=The Hindu |access-date=September 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807202201/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/apsara-reddy-on-how-supportive-the-city-has-been-to-her/article68497395.ece |archive-date=August 7, 2024}}</ref> On 8 January 2018, Reddy became the first transgender person to hold office in the Congress. She returned to the AIADMK and campaigned as its star campaigner in the [[2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election|2021 State elections]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-02-05|title=Apsara Reddy, Congress Party's First Transgender Office-Bearer, On Life, Love And Politics|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/apsara-reddy-congress-partys-first-transgender-office-bearer-on-life-love-and-politics_in_5c59b675e4b087104757e287|access-date=2021-03-31|website=HuffPost|language=en}}</ref>
{{Infobox politician
| name =
| image =
| caption =
| birth_place =[[Madras]]
| occupation = Senior Journalist/Politician/Social Activist
| party = All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (from April 2020)
|otherparty = [[Indian National Congress]] (September 2018 to April 2020)
| module =
{{Infobox officeholder | embed = yes
| office =
Official Spokesperson (National TV), AIADMK
(Current)
National General Secretary of All India Mahila Congress (2018-2020)

}}
| website =
}}

==Early life and education==

Reddy has a BA degree in Journalism from [[Monash University]] and an MA in Broadcasting with a special focus on Developmental Economics from the [[City University London|City University]] in [[London]]. She was the Overseas Students Service's President at Monash University.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Digital |first1=Zimble |url=https://qrius.com/meet-apsara-reddy-congresss-first-transgender-womens-wing-general-secretary/|title=Meet Apsara Reddy, Congress's first transgender women's wing general secretary|date=2019-01-10|website=Qrius|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-25}}</ref>

==Career==
Reddy has worked with the ''[[BBC World Service]]'', ''[[The Hindu]]'',<ref name="supportive"/> '' [[Commonwealth Secretariat]]'' in London,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fiftyshadesofgay.co.in/apsara-reddy-becomes-first-transgender-office-bearer-in-congresss-history/|title=Apsara Reddy Becomes First Transgender Office-bearer In Congress's History|date=2019-01-09|website=FIFTY SHADES OF GAY|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-25|archive-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525070710/http://fiftyshadesofgay.co.in/apsara-reddy-becomes-first-transgender-office-bearer-in-congresss-history/|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[New Indian Express]]'' and ''[[Deccan Chronicle]]''. She has written columns on topics including consumerism, politics, celebrity lifestyles and education. She has interviewed [[Amitabh Bachchan]], [[Aishwarya Rai]], Ex PM Australia [[John Howard]], F1 racer [[Michael Schumacher]], [[AR Rahman]], and Hollywood star [[Nicolas Cage]]. She has also covered the tsunami from [[Sri Lanka]], [[India]] and [[Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsx.com/national/congress-appoints-transgender-person-apsara-reddy-as-general-secretary-of-its-women-wing|title=Congress appoints transgender activist Apsara Reddy as general secretary of its women wing|date=2019-01-08|website=NewsX|language=en|access-date=2019-05-25|archive-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525070710/https://www.newsx.com/national/congress-appoints-transgender-person-apsara-reddy-as-general-secretary-of-its-women-wing|url-status=dead}}</ref>

She has also worked at the Indian Consulate in [[Melbourne]] as a media adviser to the Consulate General, Dr. [[T.J. Rao]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Kundu | first=Sreemoyee Piu | title=How society made Apsara regret wanting to be transgender | website=dailyO | date=3 April 2016 | url=https://www.dailyo.in/lifestyle/transgender-woman-apsara-reddy-gay-marriage-homosexuality-lgbt-section-377-9865 | access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref>

Reddy also worked briefly with [[UNICEF]] to launch a health campaign across [[Tamil Nadu]].{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Starting in 2013, she hosted a Tamil show [[Natpudan Apsara]] which aired on Thanthi TV.

She has also spoken at various high-profile platforms including the European Parliament Session in Madrid, The World Pride Summit, UNICEF and top institutions like Goldman Sachs, NASSCOM INDIA and even at Princeton University.

===Politics===
In May 2016, she joined the [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]](AIADMK).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chennaionline.com/category/chennai-360/|title=Chennai 360 – Chennaionline|website=chennaionline.com}}</ref> Previously, she had joined [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] in February 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/from-lotus-to-two-leaves-in-a-jiffy/article8582729.ece|title=From lotus to two leaves in a jiffy|date=11 May 2016|via=www.thehindu.com|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>[http://en.hawkfeed.com/meet-apsara-reddy-indias-first-transgender-politician-from-bjp/5/ Meet Apsara Reddy, latest sensational Politician from BJP]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Third-gender-pitches-for-lead-role-in-politics/articleshow/51654698.cms|title=Third gender pitches for lead role in politics|first=Shilpa|last=Vasudevan|date=April 2, 2016|website=The Times of India}}</ref> In January 2019, she was appointed national general secretary of [[All India Mahila Congress]] by [[Rahul Gandhi]], making her the first transgender person to be appointed as a general secretary of any political party in India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newsd.in/congress-appoints-apsara-reddy-as-the-first-transgender-officer-bearer/|title=Congress appoints Apsara Reddy as the first transgender National General Secretary of AIMC|work=Newsd www.newsd.in|access-date=2018-01-08|language=en}}</ref> In November 2020, she rejoined [[AIADMK]] ahead of the [[2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election|upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly election]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/nov/20/after-khushbu-sundar-apsara-reddy-deserts-congress-to-rejoin-aiadmk-2225904.html |title=After Khushbu Sundar, Apsara Reddy deserts Congress, to rejoin AIADMK |date=20 November 2020 |website=New Indian Express |access-date=September 29, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 21, 2020 |title=Apsara Reddy rejoins AIADMK |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/apsara-reddy-rejoins-aiadmk/article33146250.ece |access-date=September 29, 2024 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121053039/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/apsara-reddy-rejoins-aiadmk/article33146250.ece |archive-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Reddy, Apsara}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians]]
[[Category:Alumni of City, University of London]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Indian transgender politicians]]
[[Category:Indian television journalists]]
[[Category:Indian transgender women]]
[[Category:Indian transgender writers]]
[[Category:Monash University alumni]]
[[Category:Transgender women writers]]
[[Category:Transgender women politicians]]

Apsara Reddy - Revision history

RondaWaddell840 at 00:28, 16 October 2025