New Delhi: The newly-introduced Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill generated mixed reactions from leaders of the transgender community. While one hailed it as the government’s effort to “save original TG”, another accused the Centre of taking away their “rights of self-identification”.
The Bill, which has already been passed by both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, and is now awaiting the President’s assent.
The country’s first transgender Shankaracharya, Hemangi Sakhi Ma, came out in support of the Bill.
She told reporters, “According to me, the Bill has been passed by the government to save the original TGs (transgenders). The transgender community should not be scared because this has been done for our safety.”
She said, “Many a times, many men call themselves transgender and create IDs. People like us are unable to make TG cards or certificate. So whatever the government has done, it is good.”
However, transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi expressed her disapproval of the Bill.
She said, “I was thinking that if, in the future, the government brings a new transgender Bill or an amendment, we might receive more rights. But this government has instead taken away many of our rights. There are already so many problems for the transgender community.”
She accused the government of not thinking about the transgenders’ welfare.
“Are they thinking about our employment? No. Are they thinking about our education? No. Are they thinking about our healthcare? No. Also, nobody is thinking about our social acceptance,” she said.
Tripathi said, “This Bill has pushed us back by 20 years. It feels like they (government) want our existence to disappear. We will get tested for our identity, our gender, from a medical officer? Gender is a very personal thing. It is private for every person. How can somebody else decide my gender? Who are you to decide?”
She also alleged that the community was not consulted and neither was their consent taken. “Trans woman, trans men, non binary and gender fluid children, everybody has been excluded,” she pointed out.
“We are being stripped of our rights. You cannot take away our fundamental rights. This right has been given to us by the Constitution. We will fight till the end to get our rights back,” Tripathi added.
Significantly, the Bill omits persons with “self-perceived gender identities” from the definition of “transgender person.”
(IANS)
