Transgenders

Judge junks Biden's Title IX rules, upturns protections for LGBTQ+ students

The Biden administration's Title IX rules expanding protections for LGBTQ+ students have been struck down nationwide after a federal judge in Kentucky found they overstepped the president's authority. In a decision issued Thursday, US District Judge Danny C. Reeves scrapped the entire 1,500-page regulation after deciding it was fatally tainted by legal shortcomings. The rule had already been halted in 26 states after a wave of legal challenges by Republican states. President-elect Donald Trump previously promised to end the rules on day one and made anti-transgender themes a centrepiece of his campaign. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called it a rejection of the Biden administration's relentless push to impose a radical gender ideology. Because the Biden rule is vacated altogether, President Trump will be free to take a fresh look at our Title IX ...

Biden signs defence bill despite objections to ban transgender health care

President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a defence bill that authorises significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to USD 895 billion despite his objections to language stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families. Biden said his administration strongly opposes the provision because it targets a group based on gender identity and "interferes with parents' roles to determine the best care for their children. He said it also undermines the all-volunteer military's ability to recruit and retain talent. No service member should have to decide between their family's health care access and their call to serve our nation, the president said in a statement. The Senate forwarded the bill to Biden after passing it last week by a vote of 85-14. In the House, a majority of Democrats voted against the bill after House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted on adding t

Grant 0.5% interim reservation to transgenders, Karnataka HC tells NLSIU

The Karnataka High Court has directed the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) to provide 0.5 per cent interim quota to the transgenders in admissions and fees waiver till the varsity formulates a policy on reservation for such applicants. The bench headed by Justice Ravi V Hosmani also asked NLSIU to approach the Centre and the state government for appropriate grants to cover the financial aid. The court took note of the one per cent reservation provided for transgenders in employment by state government to prescribe 0.5 per cent quota for the community. The court direction was based on a petition filed by Mugil Anbu Vasantha.

Medical curriculum revision criticised for excluding transgender rights

Disability rights activists and transgender advocates have raised alarms over the non-inclusion of provisions outlined in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPDA), 2016 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act (TPA), 2019 in the National Medical Commission's revised Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Curriculum. In a letter addressed to Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar, the leaders of disability and transgender communities expressed their dismay. The letter penned by Central Advisory Board on Disability Chairperson Dr Satendra Singh and Association for Transgender Health in India CEO Air Commodore (Retd.) Dr Sanjay Sharma highlighted how the new curriculum, released on August 31, 2024, fails to address critical issues impacting these marginalized groups. "The curriculum has been deemed outdated and archaic, contradicting the Supreme Court judgements and previous guidelines," stated the letter. The controversy led to

Wells Fargo launches 'Transgender persons hiring' in India for diversity

Leading financial services company Wells Fargo on Thursday said it has broadened its talent attraction strategy by launching the Transgender Persons Hiring Program in India, a move that will increase diverse representation across levels. Building on the programme's initial pilot with its 2022 cohort of 13 individuals hired in its technology function, the company aims to train and attract additional talent across multiple lines of business in 2024. The programme aims to provide employability skills training and professional development for transgender talent, Wells Fargo said in a statement. "Investing in diverse communities to upskill and unlock potential and, at the same time, set up the right environment for success is a critical area of focus for Wells Fargo," said Uday Odedra, executive vice president and Region head of Wells Fargo India & Philippines. In partnership with community organisation PeriFerry, the company currently sponsors 30 transgender individuals focused on ...

Transgender community rallies in Jammu, demands assembly seat reservation

Ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir polls, members of the transgender community held a rally here on Saturday, demanding reservation for them in the legislative assembly. The rally, which started from Vikram Chowk and culminated at Hari Singh Park in the heart of the city, saw participants carrying placards and raising slogans in support of their demand. "We have 90 seats in the assembly but not one is reserved for us. We want at least one seat each to be reserved in the two divisions of Jammu and Kashmir for us so that our issues can be resolved," Raveena Mahant, who was leading the rally, told reporters. She said the rally was organised to voice the transgender community's demand for reservation and representation in the electoral process which has long been denied by the political parties in the region. "Without such reservation, the community remains under-represented and is unable to influence decisions which directly impact the lives of transgender persons," she added. Mahant sai

Trump questions acceptance of transgenders at Moms for Liberty gathering

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump lamented the growing acceptance of transgender Americans Friday in an appearance at the annual gathering of Moms for Liberty, a national nonprofit that has spearheaded efforts to get mentions of LGBTQ+ identity and structural racism out of K-12 classrooms. Trump said transgender women should not be allowed to play in women's sports and said access to gender-affirming health care should be restricted. But he largely stuck to his favourite topics during an hourlong fireside chat in Washington, where he lashed out at President Joe Biden, deplored illegal immigration and reminisced about his parents' marriage, his path to being the reality television star of The Apprentice and the debate that ended Biden's reelection campaign. Our country is being poisoned. And your schools and your children are suffering greatly because they're going into the classrooms and taking disease, and they don't even speak English," Trump said of immigrants crossing

Transgender identity certificate will be treated as valid document: Centre

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that a 'certificate of identity' issued by the district magistrate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 will be treated as valid documentation for applying for a PAN card. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said the Union of India has in principle accepted this request and the Union government may consider incorporating it in the rules as well in order to bring clarity. "During the pendency of this petition, we sought a reply from Union of India, who has been very supportive in this matter and by and large has accepted all the demands which have been raised in the present petition including the one, that the certificate to be issued under Section 6/7 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 will be acceptable, if it is given by the district magistrate," the bench noted. Sections 6 and 7 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 deal with the issue of ...

Olympics: Women's boxing sparks gender row as Khelif knocks out Carini

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a biological male, has sparked controversy at the Paris Olympics after winning her opening about in just 46 seconds

Ensure 1% quota for transgenders in public employment: HC to WB govt

The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal government to ensure one per cent reservation for transgender persons in all public employment in the state. Noting that the state government adopted a policy of equal treatment in employment to transgenders, the court said the reservation has, however, not yet been made for them. Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed the chief secretary of the West Bengal government to ensure one per cent reservation for transgenders in all public employment. The high court order was passed on a petition by a transgender person, who succeeded in the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) 2014 and also in the TET 2022, but was not called for counseling or interview. In the order passed on Friday, Justice Mantha noted that the Supreme Court had declared in a 2014 case that hijras' and eunuchs, apart from binary genders, be treated as "third gender" for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of the Constitution. The apex court had also uph

Govt hospitals set up transgender centers in push for equitable healthcare

Doctors hail move, activists suggest more needs to be done

'Offensive, arbitrary': Telangana HC declares Eunuchs Act unconstitutional

The high court bench observed that the Telangana Eunuchs Act violated the human rights of the third-gender community

In a first, transgender fashion show organised in Gujarat's Surat

A unique fashion show was organized in Surat, Gujarat on Saturday with the motive to bring awareness towards third-gender people (transgenders) and to create a positive environment for them in society

Twitter removes tweets on Trans Day of Vengeance, says protest not peaceful

Twitter says it has removed thousands of tweets showing a poster promoting a "trans day of vengeance" protest in support of transgender rights in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Ella Irwin, Twitter's head of Trust and Safety, said in a tweet Wednesday that the company automatically removed more than 5,000 tweets and retweets of a poster promoting the event. "We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them. 'Vengeance' does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok," Irwin wrote in the tweet. In removing the tweets, Twitter said it used automated processes to do it quickly at a large scale, without considering what context the tweets were shard in. Because of this, both tweets that were critical of and those that supported the protests were removed. This appeared to anger many conservative Twitter users who said the rules were unfairly applied to them because they were posting the image of the protest flyer to speak out

Scotland passes gender recognition reform bill; eases sex change rules

Scotland's lawmakers passed controversial law which will make it easier for transgender people to legally change their gender, despite the debate that led to a split within the Scottish National Party

Transgenders can apply for constable posts, will frame rules: Maha to HC

The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Bombay High Court transgenders can apply for police constable posts and that it would frame rules setting standards for their physical tests by February 2023. This comes a day after a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Abhay Ahuja rapped the state government for being in deep slumber and lagging behind in framing rules to allow transgenders to participate in the recruitment process. Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni on Friday told the bench the government would modify its online website to include a third drop down for transgenders in the category of 'sex' in the online application form. Two posts for police constable would be kept vacant for transgenders, he told court. "The last date to submit the forms for everyone is extended till December 15. By December 13, the third drop down would be added," Kumbhakoni said. As per procedure, physical tests would be conducted once rules are framed, after which a writt

Plea seeks waiver of enrolment fees for transgenders as lawyers, SC refuses

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea which sought the waiving of registration fee for transgender lawyers charged by the statutory Bar bodies for enrolment, saying such issues do not fall under the parameters of the judicial review. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said that the parameters of judicial review did not allow constitutional courts to pass orders such as waiver of enrolment fees. "You cannot say that you do not charge an enrolment fee. Why just transgender persons, why not extend this to women, disabled and marginalised persons," the CJI asked. "You must understand the parameters of judicial review." The bench asked why only in the legal profession, such fee waiver should be extended to the medical field also, and said it would dismiss the plea. The counsel for petitioner M Karpagam then decided to withdraw the petition. The top court permitted Karpagam to give a representation to this effect to the Bar Counc

India Inc is beginning to take baby steps towards LGBTQ+ inclusion

Tata Steel, Godrej Consumer Products among those ushering in change

Transgender persons to get composite healthcare svcs under AB-PMJAY: Govt

Transgender persons will now get composite healthcare services under the Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY with a MoU being signed between the National Health Authority and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday hailed the MoU as one of its kind in the country which will give impetus to ensuring rightful and respectable place for transgenders The MoU will extend all healthcare benefits to transgender persons (holding a transgender certificate issued by the National Portal for transgender persons) across the country, Mandaviya said. The ministry of social justice and empowerment (MOSJE) will fund Rs.5 lakh insurance cover per transgender beneficiary per annum. A comprehensive package is being prepared for transgender category including the existing AB PM-JAY packages and specific packages like Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) and treatment for transgenders, he said. They will be eligible to seek treatment in any of the AB PM-JAY ...

In a first, housing scheme proposed for trans community in Maharashtra

The Social Welfare Department of the Maharashtra government has proposed an affordable housing scheme for the transgender community, a senior official said