Here's why we need to #StopTransBill2019 :
1. The bill requires trans people to be 'certified' by the district magistrate to have their identity recognised. Moreover, if a person is to change their preferred gender to male or female, they would need to show proof of SRS.
1. The bill requires trans people to be 'certified' by the district magistrate to have their identity recognised. Moreover, if a person is to change their preferred gender to male or female, they would need to show proof of SRS.
2. The bill groups intersex people under the definition of transgender, despite the distinction in identity & experiences between the two, thereby conflating sex and gender. This is horrifying misrepresentation but also an invisibilisation of intersex persons & their concerns.
3. The bill requires the court order to decide where a trans child will live — either with biological family or the community family — as another blatant human right violation. #StopTransBill2019
4. The bill does not provide a single organised protocol guiding the medical community on healthcare for the transgender community. Moreover, rights of a tran sperson with regard to their fertility is critical, and inclusion in both artificial fertilisation and surrogacy.
5. The National Council for Transgender Persons lacks any kind of independence to carry out functions. The National Council which is composed of at least 30 persons, has a mere representation of 5 persons from the transgender community. #StopTransBill2019
6. As per the bill, any kind of violence, as much as that which would endanger a trans person’s life is punished by a term of a maximum of 2 years. #StopTransBill2019
7. The chapter prohibiting discrimination is plagued with three major concerns:
i) Lack of an enforcing authority
ii) Lack of remedial measures, be it in terms of compensation or any other means, for the survivor
iii) Lack of punitive measures to be taken against the violator
i) Lack of an enforcing authority
ii) Lack of remedial measures, be it in terms of compensation or any other means, for the survivor
iii) Lack of punitive measures to be taken against the violator
8. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 5th August, without any debate, amid chaos due to abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir on the same day. Now it awaits Rajya Sabha approval in the ongoing #WinterSession of the Parliament.
