As it has been said, “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”, well, is it really true for transgenders too? They are not only daring, but fearless enough to rise in opposition to the world for their basic rights, given their lengthy history of facing inequities and eventually obtaining their rights as a regular human being. When they become seen and recognised without having to fight for their rights, it will very certainly be a revolution.
Transgender is the term that refers to people who have a gender identification that differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. In order to treat them equally and with respect, the person should be referred to as the pronoun of the gender they choose to live in rather than the gender they were born with.
Apart from them accepting and loving themselves, they need love and support physically and affectionately from their parents too without any conditions attached to it but as Joe Biden says “Transgender discrimination is the civil rights issue of our time.” , they can feel depressed, anxious and even homelessness or suicidal if not felt so from their dear and near ones when they face any difficulties or harassment.
TRANS YOUTH/PEOPLE AND THE CHALLENGES FACED BY THEM
After going through enough inequality regarding healthcare services and other denied basic human possibilities, they face challenges not just outside but at home as well. Because they have been subjected to uneven treatment since birth, they have to deal with the difficulties at the home before they confront them outside. Transgender youngsters are traumatised for the rest of their lives due to a lack of acceptance from their peers and birth families.
Many of them leave their households to join the ‘Hijra society,’ an ancient transgender group in India led by a guru and founded for transgender people who are impoverished or have been abandoned by their families because of their desire to change genders. . Joining this community make themselves feel accepted and safe in their chosen gender.
They also tend to do sex work for a basic living which leads to increase in HIV risks and other diseases including mental health issues. Even after joining hijra society, they have to earn a living through extortion, performing at ceremonies, begging, or prostitution leading to experience of more abuse and discrimination. Hijras, particularly working as prostitutes, are frequently subjected to harsh violence in public spaces like police stations, jails, and sometimes even by family members.
In a country like India, where people take years to accept a new normal, parents often mistakenly label their trans children as having faulty genes, leading to either the trans youth keeping it a secret or being disowned by their parents, causing the child to shut down on their feelings and develop severe mental health issues. Only 2% of trans persons, according to statistics, live with their parents.
Transgender adolescents are frequently mocked and bullied by their peers due to their failure to conform to gender stereotypes and being denied using restrooms. Bullying can lead to stress-related seizures, sadness, or panic attacks in students which ranges from 32% to 50% across the countries. Many even tend to drop out of schools at an early age. Such schools totally need principals like Dr. Manabi Bandopadhyay, a transgender woman born as the only son of two sisters and oppressed by her strict father, is West Bengal’s first transsexual to get a Ph.D. and is smashing barriers like a pro.
Harassment and violence, such as physical assaults and stalking while going for basic healthcare and job needs are another form of trauma that they have to go through.
While they are mostly seen begging on street lights, they still want a society where they are given equal opportunities and not treated as inferior just like Victorian law and British times where even though they were visible, but were identified as someone not equal.
They may even require gender reassignment surgery in order to function ‘normally,’ as their parents, teachers and guardians demand.
THAT FEELING OF HOPE
- Article 14 – right of equality before law and equal protection of law guaranteed
- Article 21, heart of the Indian constitution – No person to be deprived of his life or personal liberty
- Article 24 – best interests of the child must come first and protection of other rights of a child
- Article 23 – prohibits and criminalises human trafficking and forced labour
- 2014 judgement by National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India – Recognition as a ‘third gender’ provided by Supreme court. This made the transgender self identifiable and to be classified as people from social and economic backward class for them to be able to apply for jobs through reservations. After many protests and criticisms on this due to it being a pending bill, there came another act for their protection –
- 2019 Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Act – It made sure to provide for protection of rights and also their welfare
Apart from these Indian laws, The UNCRC – United Nations Convention on the Right of a Child, an international legal framework, that guarantees to defend and fulfil the rights of every child recognises that children have the right to voice their ideas, to have those opinions heard and acted on when necessary, to be safeguarded from abuse or exploitation, and to have their privacy protected. It necessitates that their lives be free of excessive intervention. On December 11, 1992, India ratified the UNCRC, agreeing in principle to all articles but with reservations on problems relating to child labour. UNCRC states that –
- It is the state’s responsibility in ensuring care for children deprived of family environment. (Article 20)
- Conventions must be implemented in order to create and promote laws that protect the rights of a child. (Article 4)
- Parental guidance should be assured to provide a child with a life where he or she can make their own decisions. (Article 5)
- Children to not be separated from their parents until their own will. (Article 9)
- Children have right to voice their views and opinions when discussing any problems faced by them. (Article 12)
WHAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE?
- Awareness and education at school level – People all throughout the world are better at grasping the concepts that have been taught to them from their school days. Following the passage of the law, schools and institutions should begin educating young minds about the newly recognised third gender, raising awareness among people of all ages.
- Understanding others – Transgender people, like everyone else, feel the need for support from their loved ones, particularly their parents. Any child may grow up to be the person of their dreams with regular care and love, and the same is true for transgender people. Once we realise to open our minds a little, everything becomes natural. For once in the twentieth century, let us be open-minded, and we may be able to eliminate half of the world’s hatred.
- Be a human to support a human – Because of the long-term trauma that harassment and bullying cause, additional mental health programmes for trans persons should be made available, as well as programmes that educate others about myths and truths. Furthermore, if you begin to encourage one individual per day, the atmosphere will only improve.
- Awareness and education at school level – People all throughout the world are better at grasping the concepts that have been taught to them from their school days. Following the passage of the law, schools and institutions should begin educating young minds about the newly recognised third gender, raising awareness among people of all ages.
At the end of the day, life is about accepting one another with no hatred in our heart, since the heart always knows more than the head. To do something that any other normal being can do, one does not need to follow socially imposed traditions and rules. If the appropriate steps are taken now, the shift in the 20th century could be worth every minute. Every individual has the ability to life and must live side by side with others.
Image Source : The Wire
