Ahmedabad: Transgender Bill – Protest on Saturday

The Transgender Bill, passed on December 17, during the winter session of Parliament, sparked off a huge controversy among the people of the community. Several LGBTQ members will stage a protest this Saturday. The bill not only has various loopholes, but it contradicts the NALSA (2014) verdict of the Supreme Court, some of community members said.

Several individuals and organisations – Maya Sharma from Vikalp, Indira Pathak from Subrung and members of QueerAbad – working for the rights of the LGBTQIA community, opened up about the glaring flaws in these 24 amendments.

As per NALSA, self-identification by physically being grouped as a third-gender or either of the gender binaries was not needed whereas the new bill makes it compulsory for documentation, even if it means a person having to go through a Sex Reassignment Surgery, which is known to be a risky and difficult procedure. The Bill restricts members of the transgender community to their biological family for identification and protection, irrespective of their consent based on issues of moral support from family.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment bill has borrowed concepts from The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2013, harbouring the concept of rehabilitation, lack of clarity on sexual offences committed against transgender people, etc. The bill upholds criminalisation of trans people for organised begging which has been their sole means of earning a livelihood for years, as there are no reservations or opportunities for jobs in other sectors. It does not mention the sexual abuse whereas the punishment for such offenses is usually six months.