Transgenders fight for their right

Ongole: The Transgender Persons (Protection of Right) Bill 2016, is being prepared by the Union government and is scheduled for introduction in the next Parliament session. It is incomplete and does not give a clarity on many issues related to the third gender, said the transgender persons in Ongole on Monday.

Working with the community-based organisation Snehabandham, the transgender persons announced that they are joining the protests in New Delhi on December 15 against the existing bill demanding modifications before placing it in the Parliament.

Priyanka, secretary of the Snehabandham CBO said, “The Transgender Persons Bill prepared by the Union government is about to do more bad than good to our community. The government is criminalising begging, forming screening committees to declare transgender identity and taking other steps which are restricting the freedom of the transgender persons. We are demanding the government to consult the stake holders and know what we wanted before placing it before the House. We are joining the protests with other stakeholders at New Delhi on December 15 to give voice to our concerns.”

Aruna, a social worker and writer said, “It is great that the government recognised the rights of third gender and is introducing a bill for them. In our society, it is a tradition to seek blessings of transgender persons in happy moments. But the bill sees this as blessing and restricts them. The Collector need not be a head for the screening committee to declare their identity.

The government should take the opinions of the third gender people, discuss with them and other national level and international level experts, before finalising themselves on what these people need.

The government should see that the bill is prepared in the lines of progressive, democratic and gender equality, and also see that every transgender benefits from it and lives with dignity.”