Hey you !
It's been a while since I last posted. Recently, in May 2024, I visited New Delhi, our nation's capital. I had the chance to meet a lot of bureaucrats who are working on improving the lives of transgender individuals. I also have some medical updates to share, but I'll save those for the next post. This one is all about my meetings with the officials.
First, I stopped by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. I spoke with a senior bureaucrat there, who gave me some hope. They mentioned a few small changes, notifications, and guidelines for district officials who handle the transgender identity cards and certificates. I asked about the binary gender marker ID card, and they explained that the 2019 Act requires surgery for a binary gender marker. But in 2020, they updated the rules so that now you just need a medical certificate for gender dysphoria to apply for a binary gender certificate.
They're also planning to create a proper format for the transgender ID cards so they can be printed and laminated like regular ID cards.
When it comes to scholarships, there's still nothing decided yet. The same goes for the Garima Greh scheme. As for the Composite Medical Health Scheme, they need to talk with the Ministry of Family Health and Welfare, the Director General of Health Services, and the National Health Authority before they can implement any health policies.
Next, I visited another ministry that deals with medical affairs. They told me that medical issues are mostly handled by state governments, so the central government can't do much directly. But they are working on new policies and a health package for transgender individuals under the Ayushmann Bharat scheme. It's hard to say when this will happen, but it might be after the next elections. Meanwhile, we can keep hoping and maybe write letters to push for quicker action or some interim relief.
Unfortunately, not everything went smoothly on my trip. I had two really bad experiences. Once, near my hotel in Delhi, I was catcalled, and another time, when I was in an auto, the same thing happened. Then, when I got back to Bangalore and was waiting for an auto to take me home, an old guy kept touching his groin area and trying to call me over. I felt disgusted, angry, and concerned about such behavior. It made me reflect on the challenges people from outside Bangalore might face when they visit here.
But aside from those three incidents, everything else was good
Thanks for reading, and I'll be back soon with more updates!
