Webinar on Discussion on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, West Bengal
With the onset of demanding and claiming of basic human rights one of the major taboos that India faces is the discrimination of the sexual minorities. The much-debated topic of the very recent Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 G Bill being passed as Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2020 that brought about protests, agitation and resistance from the transgender community of India. The landmark NALSA Judgement of 2014 that recognised ‘third gender’ and had opined the progressive statements over ‘gender’, ‘identity’, ‘protection of transgenders’ etc. although the Act has been made to hold the rights and provisions for the transgender community there have been conjectures that the Act do not meet its purpose. The Sexual minorities or the LGBTQIA+ community have a history of facing discrimination and violence . West Bengal is caught in a curious position, largely because the strength of the movement in the state stands unparalleled when compared to other states in the country. When contrasted with the narrative that state has chosen to take, where post the establishment of the Transgender Persons Welfare Board in West Bengal, there has been no action either by the welfare board or the state at large towards advancement of rights of Transgender Persons in the state.