Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014
Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 Background The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Tiruchi Siva as a private member's bill. Some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders initially tried to convince Siva to withdraw the bill citing anomalies and impractical clauses. Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said that some clauses of the bill were impractical and too complicated. He promised future policies to benefit transgender people while requesting the Bill to be withdrawn. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, and P. J. Kurien of Indian National Congress also made a similar request made person by Gehlot or the house should support the bill. The bill was unanimously passed on 24 April 2015 in the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition had the majority but also received support from the treasury bench. The move was welcomed by LGBT rights activist Simran Shaikh. Th...