Now that the major parties’ election manifestos are out, CPI (M) has an impressive road plan for the LGBTQ community. They have promised on horizontal reservations, amendment of the Transgender Protection Act 2019 to include equal punishments for crimes done against trans people, strengthening mechanisms to curb bullying, and refurbished anti-discrimination laws.
Congress on the other hand, has promised to modify articles 15 and 16 of the constitution to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. It has also promised a legalization of civil unions for queer couples.
BJP meanwhile, seems to have only included 2 lines of cursory content regarding the transgender community. The word “Transgender” is mentioned as a noun as opposed to an adjective, which is dehumanizing. Furthermore, the government has promised to include transgender people under the Ayushman Bharat Yojna. The major question to ask is, how will a rural transgender person from a South Indian village understand an act which has entirely been conceptualized and even christened in Hindi?
Have the legal nitty gritties and provisions of the scheme been effectively communicated to all transgender people?
And the catch – the government has also promised to create Garimah Greh Shelter homes for trans people. It is infuriating for four reasons – in 2022, it was this same government that had for some reason – blocked the funds for many shelters that were already operating. No clear reason was provided. Without the requisite revenue stream for a year almost, these shelter houses were forced to shut down, throwing dependent trans lives into jeopardy. The other reasons why this gets our goat is – there is no effort made on sensitizing natal family about trans acceptance. Even the first NCERT teacher sensitization manual drafted by queer activist Vqueeram was rejected with vile harassment thrown at Vqueeram, and the second manual drafted by an Oppressor caste cis het woman named Jyotsana Tiwari had been withdrawn because of sheer misinformation. Both these teacher sensitization manuals could well be extended to parents as well, but no. BJP isn’t known for proactive stances in favour of the LGBTQ+ community.
Also read: What I Learnt About Trans-Advocacy over the Decades by Speaking with the Folx at TWEET Foundation
By promising beneficial schemes only for the trans community, while ignoring all the other queer identities, the BJP seeks to drive a schism between members of the LGBTQ community. It reeks of ignorance about intersecting identities or perhaps it is a strategic move to divide and rule. Trans, intersex and non binary people who are also LGBA+ exist. Besides, there seems to be no on-ground research of how many trans people, particularly trans femme people would want to use the Garimah Greh. Statistically, through 5-6 years of experience as a trans activist with various organizations, a considerable section of trans femme people choose to live in closed trans communities such as Gharanas or the jamaath system under a Nayak or a Guru. The reasons for this could be manifold – lingual familiarity, caste oppression, complete lack of natal support, the feeling that trans/queer people would be safer than cis het people, healthcare advantages, and more. In such a case, shelter homes would be rendered pointless, especially if they don’t receive enough funds to operate well. Besides LGBTQ-run organizations like Periferry also provide LGBTQ people accommodations at affordable rates.
Also read: Queering the Vote
The BJP has not only been tokenistic, but have also chosen a very low-commitment zone as a promise in their manifesto. Regardless of whether they keep their promise or not, the long-term impact of this move is questionable. The queer community will continue to thrive regardless of whether this move is made or not.
Also read: #TDOV: Why the Trans Protection Act Hits Home and Hits Hard
To conclude, the election manifesto of BJP comes off as a damp squib, and does nothing to support the LGBTQ+ community or even specifically the trans* community. It’s not surprising either, given the majoritarianism that the party espouses. If queer folx voting don’t wake up and smell the coffee, they will take hundreds of us to drown along with themselves. The damage done by the BJP is enough – passing the poorly drafted Trans Act 2019, refusing us rights to marriage and more. Vote wisely, and I’d say vote left.
