Transgender and queer collectives and individual activists on March 21 strongly condemned the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, calling it discriminatory and demanding its immediate withdrawal. At a press conference, community representatives said the amendments, introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 13 by Virendra Kumar, would sharply curtail rights established under the 2019 Act and erase large sections of the gender-diverse population from legal recognition.
Speakers argued the Bill proposes a restrictive redefinition of “transgender persons” that undermines self-identification and fails to recognise the diversity of gender identities. “It collapses intersex and transgender identities into a single category, despite these being distinct experiences. It removes the right to self-identification, limiting legal recognition to specific socio-cultural identities such as Hijra, Kinnar, Aravani or Jogti, thereby excluding many others,” said spokesperson Prasant Meera.
Activists rejected the Bill’s premise that people are coerced or unduly influenced into transgender identities. Referring to the Supreme Court’s 2014 NALSA judgment, Meera said: “Transgender is an umbrella term recognising persons whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. The Bill directly violates this principle by stripping away the right to self-determination.”
Another representative, Anamitra Bora, criticised provisions that create categories such as “genuine oppressed persons” and “those in actual need,” saying these labels reinforce unfounded claims of misuse while many protections in the 2019 Act remain unimplemented. Community members also warned that the Bill’s requirement for medical scrutiny and mandatory disclosure of surgical information violates the right to privacy and bodily autonomy affirmed in the Puttaswamy judgment (2017).
Concerns were raised about amendments to Section 18, which introduce harsher punishments for offences overlapping with existing criminal laws and could criminalise transgender persons and their allies. The Bill proposes rigorous imprisonment of up to five years for “alluring” or “forcing” individuals to become transgender-an allegation activists say lacks credible evidence in India. “The language used in the Bill is vague, broad and violates fundamental rights. If passed, it could lead to misuse and violence, affecting an already marginalised community and discouraging open expression of identity,” the representatives said.
Representatives from Assam highlighted that culturally recognised identities such as Nupi Manbi and Nupa Manba in the Meitei community are not recognised by the Bill. They warned that removing the right to self-identify would erase trans men and trans-masculine people, trans women and trans-feminine people outside listed socio-cultural communities, as well as non-binary, genderqueer and other gender-diverse individuals across the Northeast.
The community said the Amendment Bill does more than alter wording: it threatens the dignity and existence of transgender communities nationwide and reflects a pattern of erasure in policymaking. They reiterated their demand that the central government withdraw the Bill immediately and engage with transgender and queer organisations on any legislative changes.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/transgender-queer-groups-oppose-amendment-bill-demand-immediate-withdrawal-1363322-2026-03-21?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-03-21 23:34:00
