New Delhi, March 26 (NationPress) The transgender community organized a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Thursday to voice their opposition to the recently proposed Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, claiming it infringes upon their rights and dignity. A significant number of community members came together to protest against the government, arguing that the Bill compromises the values of equality and self-identification.

The demonstrators contended that the Bill, which has successfully passed through both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, is currently pending the President's approval and poses a grave threat to the rights previously safeguarded under existing legal frameworks for transgender individuals.

During the protest, IANS had the opportunity to speak with several participants.

One protester remarked, “Just yesterday, Parliament enacted this Bill. The Supreme Court's landmark ruling in the National Legal Services Authority vs. Union of India recognized transgender individuals as the 'third gender' and upheld their fundamental rights. Furthermore, a law established in 2019 asserted that every person has the right to identify their gender and live authentically. However, this new Bill strips away that right to expression.”

The protester also noted, “This Bill treats transgender individuals through a lens of criminality. It fosters distrust and criminalization while approaching identity solely from a medical perspective.”

Expressing deeper concerns, the protester continued, “Transgender individuals were previously free to identify and express themselves, but this Bill erodes those rights. That’s why we are rallying. We urge for the implementation of the NALSA judgment. This is a draconian law that has robbed transgender individuals of their rights.”

Another protester added, “This Bill is a direct assault on the dignity of transgender individuals. It is evident that there is a lack of regard for our existence. It implies that the government will dictate whether we exist or not.”

A different protester stated, “We call for the withdrawal of this Bill. Its introduction was arbitrary. While it claims to offer protection to transgender individuals, the community was never consulted. Furthermore, the Bill restricts the definition of transgender identity and does not permit individuals to self-identify.”

Notably, the Bill excludes individuals with “self-perceived gender identities” from the definition of “transgender person.”

On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha passed the Bill just a day after it was cleared by the Lok Sabha. Opposition members had urged that the Bill should be reviewed by a select committee due to concerns that several provisions could negatively impact the dignity and rights of transgender individuals.