New Delhi, March 25
Activists on Wednesday called the passage of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha a “black day” for the community, alleging that the government is moving quickly to secure its approval in the Rajya Sabha as well.
Speaking to PTI, NCP-SP leader Anish Gawande, the country’s first openly gay national spokesperson of a political party, said, “This is a black day for human rights in India. The bill was cleared without any concrete response to several valid concerns raised by the opposition, indicating the government’s unwillingness to listen to constructive criticism.”
He further said there has been no meaningful consultation with the transgender community during the drafting of the legislation.
“How can Parliament debate and pass a law meant for a community while that very community is protesting outside against it?” he asked.
Questioning the government’s claims, he added, “If the bill is meant to protect the transgender community from exploitation, then why are members of the community opposing it?”
Describing it as a “hurried and short-sighted decision,” Gawande warned that it could “criminalise thousands of the most vulnerable members of the population in the coming days and months.”
He added that the opposition would demand the bill be referred to a standing committee and may consider legal options if it is passed.
“It is unprecedented in the country’s parliamentary history that despite nearly every opposition party opposing the bill and recommending it be sent to a standing committee, the government has refused to address these concerns,” he told PTI.
Speaking about the next steps, Gawande said, “The next move is to strongly oppose the bill in the Rajya Sabha. We hope better judgment will prevail and the government will realise that the bill should be referred to a standing committee.”
He added that the government appears determined to pass it in the Rajya Sabha as well. “In that case, we will write to the President requesting that the bill be sent back to Parliament,” he said.
Gawande also said that if the bill becomes law, members of the transgender community may approach the Supreme Court, arguing that it violates the NALSA verdict, and seek to have it struck down as unconstitutional.
Dalit transgender activist Grace Banu strongly opposed the bill.
“I do not accept this. I will fight against it. This bill is highly unacceptable. It goes against my people, my community. It violates our legal rights and identity,” Banu said.
Calling it a “black day” for the community, she alleged that the bill attempts to impose an ideological framework on them because of their identity. She added that as the bill moves to the Rajya Sabha, they have begun outreach efforts with Members of Parliament in the Upper House. “We remain hopeful and will continue our fight,” she told PTI.
On meeting opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Banu said they strongly opposed what she described as a human rights violation and expressed solidarity with the community.
Discussing the next course of action if the bill is passed, she said, “We will continue to fight till our last breath because we have a responsibility to ensure a safe and secure future for the next generation.”
Activist Akkai Padmashali also expressed strong opposition, saying, “I resist it, I will fight it, and I do not accept it. This bill is highly unacceptable.”
Kabir Maan, a Delhi-based Dalit transman, described the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha as the “scariest development” for the community.
“It feels like no one is thinking, and the government is pushing the bill through regardless. It is very heartbreaking,” Maan told PTI.
He further alleged that the government is advancing the bill in the Rajya Sabha without taking the community’s concerns into account even once.
“We watched the entire parliamentary proceedings live. There was hardly any discussion on the transgender bill. It is clear that this government does not want to listen to us,” he said.
