Five queer voices explain the impact of the Trans Amendment Bill 2026

Jaya Sahodharan, organiser, activist

Back successful 2014, the National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India (2014) became a landmark judgement of the Supreme Court of India, which declared transgender radical the ‘third gender’, and gave america the close to self-identification of our sex arsenic male, pistillate oregon 3rd gender. This is aft years of being humiliated, shamed, removed from our homes, and being near to fend for ourselves connected the streets. The 2014 judgement gave america self-respect. So did precocious Chief Minister M K Karunanidhi, who bestowed upon america the word ‘Thirunangai’ -- respectful pistillate -- alternatively of the archaic ‘Aravani’. Tamil Nadu past progressed, eliminating the request for aesculapian introspection to beryllium determined trans. We did not person to ever assistance our skirts up to beryllium who we were. We created payment boards, joined the Corporation arsenic members of advisory committees, helped unafraid housing, and started studying, and adjacent moving successful firms and systems that erstwhile rejected us. The alteration has been dilatory yet dependable successful the state. This caller Bill fundamentally robs america of dignity and sets america backmost galore years. It makes america existential. “Am I not trans capable nether this Bill” it makes america ask. To alteration that, we volition fight.

Fred, trans antheral and activist

The caller Bill to amend the The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 by the Social Welfare section of India, seems to lone recognise kinner, hijra, aravani, jogta, enuchs, and intersex assemblage members. Who then, are trans men? Why does our beingness person to beryllium erased? In a patriarchal nine similar India, the prenatal household tends to beryllium the archetypal abstraction of violence. Here, we are killed, poisoned, and violated. AravaniConversion therapy is forced connected america conscionable due to the fact that we effort to beryllium arsenic ourselves. The enactment successful 2019 allowed america to beryllium arsenic ourselves. It gave america recognition. We were invited to beryllium portion of the Transgender Welfare Board successful Tamil Nadu. This Bill wants to instrumentality america backmost to the presumption from 20 years ago, wherever lone visibly trans radical are recognised. It is going to hinder our everyday. Our identity, invalidated. We volition not basal for it.

V Neela Naik, Jamaat leader

The jamaat system, which has existed for galore 100 years, protects trans adults and children who tally distant from oppressive homes that question to kill, erase and alteration us. The Centre though, is present calling america criminals, demonising the system. We bash not unit immoderate trans kids into begging oregon enactment work. The strategy does not let america to bash different jobs. It is successful uncommon states similar Tamil Nadu wherever trans acquisition is high. The jamaat is lone a harmless space, a launchpad for young kids who person obscurity other to go. Choosing to criminalise america nether the enactment without immoderate provisions to supply preservation successful presumption of education, due wellness insurance, amended aesculapian enactment done gender-sensitive doctors, and possibilities of housing, is snatching distant each attempts astatine protection.

Marakkah, trans Tamil teacher

The Central authorities wants to archer maine what sex I indispensable contiguous as, rewriting Dr. Ambedkar’s beautifully constructed Indian constitution successful which Article 21 guarantees that “no idiosyncratic shall beryllium deprived of his beingness oregon idiosyncratic liberty but according to process established by law.” The amendment is an effort to rewrite fates connected spiritual lines. This marginalised assemblage has members from the Hindu, Muslim, and Christian community. Some others are atheists. Whatever gets america through. By imposing Hindu identities similar ‘Aravani’ that comes lone successful the Mahabharata, we suffer our quality to take a faith-neutral term, conforming to a Hindutva narrative. No instrumentality tin archer maine who I am. I person mislaid excessively galore radical successful the combat to support my identity.