Article on LGBT

“NO TWO LEAVES ARE ALIKE, YET THERE IS NO ANTAGONISM BETWEEN THEM OR BETWEEN THE BRANCHES ON WHICH THEY GROW.”

– M K GANDHI


When a newborn child enters a family, a spirit of happiness runs into the bloods of every person of the family. Parents feel blessed to have a new member in their world. The child when born is innocent knowing nothing about the harsh world that HE has to face as grows up. Or maybe SHE has to face.

But wait! What if the gender of the child symbolizes something different from his assigned sex? This is what we call as Transgender. The term LGBT is often heard referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Our society is very much aware about the first three terms i.e. lesbian, gay and bisexual but the term transgender is not very widely understood.

Transgender people are people who have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned sex.((Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work. Oxford University Press. p. 380. ISBN 0199838275. Retrieved April 12, 2016. Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth [Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation [GLAAD], 2007])) Transgender people are sometimes called transsexual if they desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another.

Transgender is also an umbrella term: in addition to including people whose gender identity is the opposite of their assigned sex (Transmen and Transwomen), it may include people who are not exclusively masculine or feminine (people who are genderqueer, e.g. bigender, pangender, genderfluid, or agender).((Craig J. Forsyth, Heith Copes (2014). Encyclopedia of Social Deviance. Sage Publications. p. 740. ISBN 1483364690. Retrieved April 12, 2016. Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identities, gender expressions, and/or behaviours are different from those culturally associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth.))

This is no form of disease or any harmful practice instead this is a realisation of a person about what the person actually feels like about his/her body and identifying yourself different from what you are born with.

In today’s world people have to face many problems in their daily life but what can be worst than facing criticism and brutality because of being a transgender. People who are transgender face a greater risk of anxiety and depression which makes their life really tough and they fear to face the world. People in india say we don’t have third gender in our hindu religion and so they oppose it. So where do transgender people go. The foundational work of Hindu law, the Manu Smriti (200 BC – 200 AD) explains the biological origins of the three sexes: “A male child is produced by a greater quantity of male seed, a female child by the prevalence of the female; if both are equal, a third-sex child or boy and girl twins are produced; if either are weak or deficient in quantity, a failure of conception results((http://www.trp.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ARSS-Vol.4-No.1-Jan-June-2015-pp.17-19.pdf)).

Aren’t they human beings ? Don’t they have right to live like any male or female person lives ? Do they not have a right to be recognised in the world ? These questions have to be addressed  by someone and any authoritative branch has to take certain steps  to give Transgenders a better life and they should also be enriched with some personal rights which are important for them to maintain a lifestyle and feel proud about who they are . Don’t make them feel embarrassed instead appreciate them for the bravery that they have shown to confront themselves in front of the world.

PROBLEMS FACED BY TRANSGENDERS

• JOBLESS

Population of India is growing day by day. people work to earn their livelihoods . But it is not possible for transgender people to get a way of earning to survive as very few companies hire transgender people as an employee for their company. If they are brave enough to fight with the world they do survive no matter what they have to do and others who are not able to take this pain , they suicide .

According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey , 90% of those surveyed reported experiencing harassment, mistreatment, or discrimination on the job or they had to be cautious about who they are to avoid harassment and mistreatment at work place ; 47% said they had experienced an adverse job outcome like being fired, not hired, or denied a promotion because of being transgender or gender non-conforming; and twice as many transgender individuals experience unemployed compared to the rest of the population((http://www.transequality.org/issues/resources/national-transgender-discrimination-survey-full-report)).

These circumstances push them to go into prostitution and roam like beggars on street. Transgender are not only to clap and dance on your auspicious occasions. They are more than that and they also have the potential like any other person in the country to do any work of their choice.

The mindsets of people have to change and they should start treating them equally. There should be jobs for them and strict actions should be taken if any person tries to harm them or try to insult them.

2.) No rules and regulations

An article in a newspaper once talked about a transgender who was facing a lot of problems when she used to travel in a metro. She was confused whether she should go for security check in women’s queue or men’s queue. She was not able to decide which washroom she should use. When she used to take metro and sit in women’s department, she had to bear a lot as women their stare at her like why is she here. And if she goes into men’s section people start asking her rate card. She had to face a lot of criticism.

This is not just a story of one transgender women but every transgender has to go through these problems. In modern world today, we should have some rules and guidelines which lawfully prevent them from facing such harassment.

3.) Acceptance in Families

In Indian society it is very difficult for any family to accept that their child is a transgender and they take it as a matter of shame for them in the society. At such stage parents don’t usually think about how their child is feeling and they normally tell their child to leave their family as they cannot accept a Trans.

It is very difficult for any person to live in a society where everyone thinks of them as cheap and not just like them and if at such a point there is no family support then it’s difficult for a person to live.

Case

The National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) that has been constituted by Legal Service Authorities Act, 1987, to provide free legal services has taken steps to provide a legal declaration to Transgender and says that non recognition of their gender violates Article 14 and Article 21 of Constitution of India. NALSA has taken up their cause and has filed a writ petition. They have highlighted various issues faced by Transgender community people such as their deprivation from social and cultural participation and hence , restricted access to education , healthcare and public places and facing discrimination to contest election , right to vote , employment , to get license etc.((http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/outtoday/wc40012.pdf)) The petition is allowed by the court .

Conclusion

The only favour Transgender Community ask from the country is “Recognition”. They have been deprived of their rights from decades and now it’s high time that we the people consider them as third gender like we consider two genders i.e. male and female. Every person has a right to live their life as they wish to and no person has the right to take away that privilege from any person. The mindsets of people have to change and people have to start considering them just like they consider any male or female. This decimation has to end and to end this people have to change and provide them a better lifestyle.

BIBLOGRAPHY

• http://www.transequality.org/issues/resources/national-transgender-discrimination-survey-full-report
• News articles that are published in various newspapers
• http://www.trp.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ARSS-Vol.4-No.1-Jan-June-2015-pp.17-19.pdf
• http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/outtoday/wc40012.pdf
• http://nalsa.gov.in/about-us
• Interviews by Transgender people on YouTube.