Indian Catholic College Hires Trans Woman as Professor

Dr. Jency with Loyola students.

The first transgender woman to be appointed professor in Tamil Nadu, India, was given a position at a Catholic college there.

Catholic Connect, an online platform run by the Catholic bishops in India, recently conducted an interview with Dr. N. Jency, who, after recently receiving her PhD, was appointed Assistant Professor by the English Department at Loyola College, a Jesuit institution in the city of Chennai.The news report affirmed Jency’s journey as “a deeply human story–one of resilience, solitude, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education.”

In the article, Jency shared her life story, highlighting the ways that education (including Catholic education) provided an avenue towards acceptance. Although she grew up without the support of her parents, she was able to earn respect and a sense of purpose from her academic achievements which led to employment at Loyola College. 

Due to the role education played in her own life, she considers her broader mission to be uplifting the transgender community through education and empowerment, with a particular emphasis on visibility and representation especially in higher education settings. “I want to show that a transgender person can be a scholar, a teacher, and a role model,” she said.

Jency is working with Loyola’s administration to reserve seven to 12 seats each year for  free education for transgender students. “Any transgender person who wishes to study is welcome,” she said. “I approach the Jesuit fathers, and they support them — providing education without any cost.”

When asked about her message to broader society, she spoke of her hopes for greater acceptance of diverse gender identities:

“You accept men and women as natural—kindly recognise trans men and trans women as just as natural. If you start embracing us, how wonderful that would be! I kindly request the society to accept us as we are.”

The reporter from Catholic Connect remarked that Jency’s r story is characterized by courage and hope:

“From a small government school in Valakkanampudi to the faculty halls of Loyola College, Dr. N. Jency’s journey is one of courage, brilliance, and hope. In her, countless young transgender individuals see the promise of what is possible when society chooses acceptance over prejudice and when education becomes the great equaliser. Her story reminds us that true inclusion begins not with policies, but with recognition — of talent, of humanity, and of shared dreams.”

Jency’s story demonstrates the transformative power that Catholic education can have, and it also provides an encouraging example of Catholics–professors, university administrators, and journalists alike– recognizing the power and beauty of a transgender person’s witness. 

—Phoebe Carstens, New Ways Ministry, October 10, 2025