Jyothi(name changed), a trans-woman, was disowned by her parents some four years ago, fearing that it will be difficult to arrange the marriage of their siblings by them.
Coming out of her home, Jyothi could not take a house on rent as landlords feared criticism by neighbours who raised objections to their presence in their midst.
After running from pillar to post, she took asylum at the Sneha Bandham Maa Seva Sangam, an organisation floated by LGBTQs to make common cause with fellow sexual minorities fighting back against social rejection. So is the case with scores of disowned members of the community.
The Supreme Court verdict decriminalising consensual sexual acts between same sex adults has given them the impetus to fight for other social rights like marriage, adoption and inheritance, which have long been denied to them, says a group of LGBTQs.
“We hope that we will get a fair deal from now from the society in the wake of a favourable ruling from the apex court,” they feel.
“It is a red-letter day for all of us who have been subjected to social discrimination and harassment of various kinds,” says community-based organisation secretary Kommuri Priyanka.
“Enthused by the apex court's ruling, we will wage a legal battle for recognition of our social rights including marriage and adoption of children,” adds another transwoman B.Durga.
Sexual assaults
The community members were quite often subjected to sexual assaults. They silently suffer as police refuse to register cases against perpetrators of heinous crime on them. “There is an urgent need for enactment of a stringent piece of legislation to provide stringent punishment to those who commit sexual assaults.”
Seeks quota
“Many of them are well educated, but without decent job,” organisation president Sultan Basha explained while pressing for quota for them in government services. The community members without proper education qualification should be provided with soft loan and training to eke out a decent living, he adds.
