Kozhikode: In a first in the country, a transgender couple gave birth to a baby at a government hospital here on Wednesday.
However, the couple declined to reveal the gender identity of the newborn and said they did not want to make it public right now.
"The baby was born around 9.30 am through a Cesarean Section at the Government Medical College Hospital," said Ziya Paval, one of the trans partners.
Both the baby and Zahhad, her partner who delivered the child, are doing well, Ziya added.
Ziya Paval recently took to Instagram and announced that Zahhad was eight months pregnant. Paval and Zahhad have been together for the past three years.
Meanwhile, the transgender community expressed happiness and excitement in welcoming the baby.
Adam Harry, the country's first transgender pilot, said he has never felt such happiness in his life.
"The baby came....both Zahhad and the baby are healthy. Ziya is waiting outside excitedly," the trans man said in a Facebook post soon after the baby's birth.
In the brief post, sprinkled with emojis of love and excitement, Harry also said the gender of the newborn will be revealed when the baby grows up.
"A healthy baby is born. not a baby girl or baby boy... after all who are we to assume their gender. let them grow and explore their identity," he added.
Sheethal Shyam, a transgender activist, shared the pictures of the trans couple on her social media accounts to convey her happiness.
"That child is born," she said in her WhatsApp status.
The trans couple recently revealed that both of them were undergoing hormone therapy to change their genders but halted that for the purpose of having the baby.
Zahhad, who was transitioning to become a man, stalled it to conceive a baby.
Though they had initially planned an adoption, the couple abandoned the plan midway as the legal procedures were quite complicated.
Ziya and Zahhad were also worried by the thought that if the child they bring up leaves them, then they would be shattered.
Thus, the trans couple decided to give birth and stopped the hormone therapy.
They also said that medical college authorities assured them breast milk would be made available for the baby from the milk bank there.
(With PTI inputs)