Activists seek to redress grievances over new law on rights of transgenders

Hyderabad, Apr 3 (PTI) Expressing concern over certain provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, recently passed by the parliament, activists, including trans people, plan to represent their grievances to the government and move courts for redressal.


Rachana Mudraboyina, a transgender activist, on Friday said the activists submitted representations to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union MoS (Home) Bandi Sanjay Kumar, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and also Telangana Minister for SC Development, Empowerment of Transgender Persons Adluri Laxman Kumar.


Mudraboyina said a meeting, named 'Andhra Swabhimana Sabha', has been planned to be organised in Andhra Pradesh to prove the numerical strength of transgender persons.


The idea is also to express the diverse culture of transgender persons.


"Our concern is that the new act reversed self-identity. They set up a medical board to obtain a certificate," Mudraboyina told PTI.


Kiran Vissa, National Working Group member, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), alleged that the act is "regressive" though there has been progress in society in the last several years in terms of acceptance and the government's response to the problems of trans people.


No consultations were held either with political parties or with trans people before finalising the bill, he alleged.


Though the Centre invited the members of the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP) for a meeting before introducing the bill in parliament, the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar, allegedly did not meet the council, he said.


On the concerns over the new law, he alleged that though the Supreme Court held that the right to self-determination/self-identification of one's gender is a fundamental right protected under provisions of Article 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution, the right of self-identification has now been removed.


The act introduces a medical board, on whose recommendation the district magistrate is required to 'examine' before issuing a certificate of identity.


However, the Supreme Court had, in a judgment, expressly rejected the requirement of medical evaluation as a precondition for recognising gender identity, Vissa said.


He said ALIFA (All-India Feminist Alliance) and others, which are part of the NAPM plan, will challenge the law in court and also take up a people's campaign.


The plans are being finalised as the Act has recently been passed, he added.


Parliament on March 25 passed the bill to amend Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act 2019.


Replying to the debate on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Upper House, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar had said the proposed legislation is an effort to take along all segments of society together.

He said that the bill aims to provide protection to only those who face discrimination due to biological issues. The minister asserted that the amendment will ensure that transgender persons continue to get legal recognition and protection.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)