The Supreme Court in its landmark Judgement decriminalized homosexuality on 6th September 2018 paving a way for positive change towards the LGBTQ community. Despite this, it’s difficult to change the mindset that has developed over a thousand years which made these people struggle to survive in this society and, the outbreak of COVID-19 added to their struggles.
It is a critical time for transgenders during this pandemic. The nationwide lockdown has created a grimmer situation for numerous transgender people with little to no help from government authorities.
There are two key measures to be undertaken during this pandemic i.e., social distancing and use of personal protective measures. It is near to impossible for these people to maintain those measures because of various factors that have been discussed below.
One of the major protections from COVID-19 is social distancing. But the question that is haunting this whole community is how can they apply this? They earn their livelihood by coming into contact with people. They don’t have full -time jobs or dignified work to do. The only means of their livelihood is sex work, begging, or badhai. These types of work never provided them with a stable income. So, it is problematic for them to stay at home and use their savings. Most of them do not even have their own home and live in rented houses. Work from home is no option for them. Many individuals never disclosed their sexualities to their families but are open to the society have put into a dilemma as they came to cities as a sole bread earner for their families.
Some trans people have supportive families but this is about those who don’t. Most of them are grappling and battling with lots of stress at home during the lockdown period. Access to medical facilities for transgender people is not easy in general. But its worst during this time. The transgender people who are transitioning need to follow a very strict hormonal therapy which is very critical and necessary.
People across the nation are dependent on limited healthcare resources that are being provided to them during this pandemic and one of the groups gets the least priority in terms of access and availability and that group includes transgenders.
This lack of health facilities when coupled with discrimination can give hazardous results. Many people die due to sheer delay in understanding whether they should be put in a male or female ward. The narrow mindedness that they cannot be affected by this pandemic because of their persona prevents them from coming forward to try and get tested. The highly exclusionary society believes that the virus can’t touch transgenders because they are different from ordinary people or they are not worthy of treatment, pushes this community to margins.
LGBTQ adults experience cardiovascular disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and are likely to engage in risky behaviors like smoking, vaping, etc.[1] This showcase that transgenders are more prone to COVID-19 due to their lower immunity system.
Although the government is providing Rs 1,500 to each transman and transwomen having bank accounts. But we cannot overlook the fact there are very few people in this community who have bank accounts because they lack identity cards. Many people don’t even have ration cards to avail of ration services provided by the government. The government has issued relief packages for vulnerable classes but because of lack of sexual orientation data, it is difficult to identify as to how many of them are being benefited from this.
Apart from all this, another major concern for this community during the outbreak of the virus is their mental health. This lockdown in a literal sense has been a lockdown for them. They are locked inside their houses suffering from mental as well as physical abuse. The verbal abuse they have to face from their families because of their sexuality.
Many NGOs like Phool Versha Foundation and NamMyoho and social activists have come forth for the aid of the LGBT community along with sex workers and HIV- infected people. Even many state governments are now working for the betterment of these people. Karnataka government on 8th April announced that transgender people would be getting pension for two months along with free medication. Manipur government opened quarantine centers for transgender persons who returned to the state recently. Apart from this, there is still a need for state governments to plan and formulate policies for these vulnerable groups.
Conclusion
There was always a gap between society and transgenders, and this outbreak contributed by widening this gap. Irrespective of giving them status as the third gender they are outcasted from society because of their sexuality. Social exclusion and discrimination on the ground of gender still prevail in India. Justice Radhakrishnan admits that – “Seldom, our society realizes or cares to realize the trauma, agony, and pain which the members of the Transgender community undergo, nor appreciates the innate feelings of the members of the Transgender community, especially of those whose mind and body disown their biological sex.”[2].
There shall be quarantine centers in every state well equipped with medical facilities. Doctors should be sensitive while treating them. Healthcare needs to be more inclusive of these people. The less privileged should be informed about COVID-19 in different languages. The government needs to open up employment opportunities for the trans community. All the managing authorities have to declare themselves as trans friendly, only then we can say there has been a success in providing aid and uplifting these people.
– My purity cannot be decided on the standards of society. My purity is to my self, to my parameters[3].
References:
[1] https://fenwayhealth.org/care/medical/covid-19-information.
[2] NALSA v. Union of India (2014) 5SCC 438
[3] Red Lipstick: The Men in My Life, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi.
0 Comments