The aim of the event was to create a space for dialogue on the legal, psychological, and infrastructural needs of the transgender community while celebrating their identity and resilience.
Citing the poor implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgment that mandated transgender welfare boards in every state, Jharkhand high court Ritwik Sinha said, “We are talking about rights, but they remain largely on paper. There is zero follow-up.”
Mental health emerged as a key focus, with statistics revealing that mental health issues are four times more prevalent among transgender individuals. Dr Manisha Kiran, the HOD of Psychiatric and Social Work at RINPAS, attributed high school dropout rates to bullying and lack of support. Discrimination, emotional negligence, minority stress and rejection, verbal and sometimes physical abuse, along with stigma, push the trans community into anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse.
“The govt should actively involve members of the transgender community in lawmaking for the community and needs to invest in research in this area, as the lack of data in the region hinders effective policy making,” said S J Sangeeta of CINI.
Amarjeet Shergil of Utthaan CBO, a group led by LGBTQIA+ members from Jamshedpur, lamented the lack of basic facilities in Ranchi for transgender community. “Jamshedpur and Chaibasa have separate washrooms, but Ranchi doesn’t. We’re seen as provocateurs — people murder, rape, and abuse us, but no police reports are filed,” she said, calling for dedicated transgender cells in police stations.
Courtesy : TOI
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