The transgender community gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, accusing it of violating their rights and dignity. They criticized the Bill, which has passed both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha and is awaiting the President’s approval, for endangering the rights of transgender individuals established by previous laws. The protesters highlighted concerns that the Bill undermines the principles of equality and self-identification for transgender persons.
During the demonstration, a protester expressed dismay over the Bill’s impact on transgender rights, citing the landmark Supreme Court judgment recognizing transgender people as the ‘third gender’ and upholding their fundamental rights. The protester emphasized that the new Bill restricts the right to self-identification and views transgender individuals through a criminal lens, fostering mistrust and medicalization of identity. Another protester raised concerns about the Bill stripping away the dignity of transgender persons and accused it of denying their existence by imposing external determinations on their identity.
The protesters demanded the withdrawal of the Bill, criticizing its unilateral introduction without consultation with the transgender community. They highlighted that the Bill excludes individuals with “self-perceived gender identities” from the definition of a “transgender person,” limiting self-identification. The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha’s swift passage of the Bill drew opposition members’ criticism, who sought further scrutiny in a select committee to address potential adverse impacts on transgender rights and dignity.
