Against rights and dignity: Transgender community protests at Jantar Mantar over newly-introduced Bill

New Delhi: The transgender community staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Thursday against the newly-introduced Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, alleging that it violates their rights and dignity. A large number of people from the community gathered to demonstrate against the government, claiming that the Bill undermines the principles of equality and self-identification.

The protesters asserted that the Bill, which has already been passed by both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, and is now awaiting the President’s assent, poses a serious threat to the rights guaranteed to transgender persons under previous legal frameworks.

IANS spoke to a few protesters during the demonstration.

One of the protesters said, “Yesterday, Parliament passed this Bill. The National Legal Services Authority vs. Union of India is a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of India, which declared transgender people as the ‘third gender’ and affirmed their fundamental rights. Then, a law came in 2019 which stated that each person could identify their gender and live their life in their own way. However, with this newly-introduced Bill, the right to expression has been taken away.”

The protester further added, “This Bill views transgender persons from a criminal perspective. It promotes mistrust and criminalisation and approaches identity from a purely medical viewpoint.”

Expressing further concern, the protester said, “Transgender people were identifying and expressing themselves freely, but with this Bill, those rights have been taken away. That is why we are protesting. We want the NALSA judgment to be implemented. This is a draconian law that has taken away the rights of transgender persons.”

Another protester said, “This Bill is snatching away the dignity of transgender persons. It clearly shows that there is no concern for their existence. It suggests that the government will decide whether we exist or not.”

Another protester, said, “We demand that this Bill be withdrawn. It has been introduced in an arbitrary manner. Although it claims to protect transgender persons, the community was not consulted. The Bill also narrows the definition of transgender identity and does not allow individuals to self-identify.”

Significantly, the Bill omits persons with “self-perceived gender identities” from the definition of “transgender person.”

The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on Wednesday, a day after the Lok Sabha cleared it. Opposition members had demanded that the Bill be sent to a select committee for further scrutiny, citing concerns that several provisions could adversely impact the dignity and rights of transgender persons.

IANS