LGBTQIA Community; General Elections 2024 for the 18th Lok Sabha; and Election Manifestoes

 

Part-1

 

by

P.S. Sahni & Shobha Aggarwal

 

When ABVA (AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan) released its report, ‘Less than Gay’ in 1992 it included a 16-point Charter of Demands (Gay Manifesto) which can be accessed here.

 

Countercurrents.org on 15 August 2020 published the “People’s Manifesto for Ecological Democracy”. It included:

 

·      The rights of people with different sexual orientations – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual needs to be respected.

·      All the laws that criminalise or discriminate against the LGBTQIA community should be abolished. India should pass laws that allow marriage among same sex and LGBTQIA communities.

 

Countercurrents.org published an updated version ‘A People’s Manifesto for Ecological Democracy – 2.0’ on 13 March 2024.

 

The Indian National Congress released its Election Manifesto on Friday, 5 April, 2024. It included:

·      We will expand Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution to prohibit discrimination on the ground of ‘disability’, ‘impairment’ or ‘sexual orientation’.

·      After wide consultation, Congress will bring a law to recognize civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA community.

 

The CPI (M) released its Election Manifesto on 4 April 2024:

·      Amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 to address concerns raised by the community.

·      Legal recognition and protection to same sex couples similar to marriage – ‘civil union’/‘same-sex partnerships’, legislation/s on similar lines as Special Marriage Act, 1954 so that the partner can be listed as dependent, for inheritance, alimony in case of divorce etc.

·      A comprehensive anti-discriminatory bill covering LGBTQ+

·      Reservation in education institutions; ensuring horizontal reservation in employment.

·      Ensuring crimes against LGBTQ+ persons are treated on par with crimes against non-LGBTQ+ persons.

·      Measures to address bullying, violence and harassment of gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+ students, staff and teachers in educational spaces; enforcement of UGC anti-ragging policy amendment (2016) that addresses ragging based on sexual orientation and gender identity, ensuring accessible and safe bathrooms for trans, intersex and gender non-conforming students, staff and faculty.

·      Sex change surgeries of LGBTQI should not be done without their informed consent.

 

[P.S Sahni & Shobha Aggarwal are members of ABVA.]

P.S.: Part-2 will appear on 19 April 2024.