Special law to adopt transgenders on the anvil

BANGALORE: The National Legal Services Authority is working on a special law to

safeguard the interests and welfare of transgenders on the lines of

Special Marriage Act, Supreme Court judge Altamas Kabir said Sunday."Transgenders

are in a most disadvantageous position, not of their own making. Some

of them are rejected not just by society, but even by their parents,"

said Kabir at a day-long seminar here on 'Transgenders and the Law',

organised by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and the

Karnataka High Court Legal Services Committee.Regretting

discrimination against transgenders', Kabir said a transgender who

became a doctor was not allowed to practice in hospital and had to give

up the job as patients refused to be treated by her."We have

public toilets for men and women but not transgenders and they are not

allowed to use either. Where should they go? Do you want them to eke-out

their livelihood by begging, dancing or by sex work," Kabir asked,

saying it was high time for providing a public toilet for the third sex.Similarly,

for admission to schools/colleges or employment, application forms have

only two columns for male and female but not for transgenders."It's not only male and female, but we have to provide one more category - 'Others' to include transgenders," he said.Describing

transgenders as men wrapped up in women's body and vice-versa, the

executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority said it was

both a physical and psychological problem. "If society is not accepting transgenders, we have to change its mindset, at least now," Kabir noted.Karnataka

High Court Acting Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen said that the social

stigma attached to transgenders should be eradicated."They

should also be recognised and respected. They should be provided a means

for their livelihood and should be treated on par with others," he

said.The transgenders' population is about 1.2 million in the country. The

seminar threw light on social, medical, emotional and legal issues

relating to the community. About 250 transgenders from 11 districts

across the state attended the seminar.