TIRUVANNAMALAI: In a first, a transgender has been appointed as a noon meal organiser in Erapakkam village n Keelpennathur taluk in Tiruvannamalai district.Receiving the appointment letter from Collector A Gnanasekaran on Thursday, Jaya, 23, at last saw a ray of hope to lead a dignified life.“I am happy to get a government job. It will give me a chance to lead a decent life and overcome social stigma,“ she said.Jaya, a native of Seeru nathur village, was born Jayaprakash. The youngest child of Muthu, a mason, and Jayagandhi, she studied in Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Keelpennathur.Jaya's family deserted her after they came to know about her orientation. She had to discontinue her graduation from Government Arts and Science College in Tiruvannamalai. She then moved to Bengaluru.“I started to apply kohl and grew my hair when I started going to college. My parents, brother and sister abused me and forced me to be like a boy . They started to distance themselves from me. So I decided to leave my family ,“ said Jaya, who is the second transgender to get a government job after K Prithika Yashini, who was recently appointed as sub-inspector of police.She went to Bengaluru and started to beg for over a year to survive.“I hated my life and returned to Tiruvannamalai,“ said Jaya, who approached petrol bunks and a few shops asking for jobs but was turned away . But everything fell into place when she applied for the post of noon meal organiser.