Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar will be introducing a private member’s bill for transgender people in the Lok Sabha today. This comes months after another bill ‘The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill 2014’ was tabled in Rajya Sabha by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva and was unanimously passed by the House.

“The Transgender Persons (Welfare) Bill 2015 calls for a Transgender Persons Welfare Fund administered by a board with representation from state governments that will provide social security to transgender persons. It proposes that every transgender person will be entitled to freely express his/her gender identity and be considered a third gender, and that they will have access to education and vocational training; the rights to personal liberty, dignity, freedom of expression; rights against violence, right to health facilities and also the right to marry,” Indian Express reported.

The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill 2014 is pending in the Lok Sabha. Government too has been mulling on bringing its own Bill in the Parliament on this matter.

Sukhdeep Singh