For every headline celebrating a transgender person’s recruitment in a mainstream profession, there is a contentious history. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, is a result of the 2014 Supreme Court judgment recognising transgenders as the third gender and safeguarding their rights under Article 21 of the Constitution. Apart from welfare schemes for the community, the Bill also lists obligations of establishments as well as recognisable offences against the community. There is a long road ahead before members of the transgender community are accepted into the mainstream. The Bill recommends the formation of a National Council for Transgender Persons that is tasked with monitoring and evaluating policies formulated for transgender persons.

Source: The Hindu March 29, 2018 20:37 UTC