Recently, the Transgender Protection Bill was passed in India. And the LGBT+ community is protesting the bill. The bill takes away the power from the transgender individual to officially identify themselves as whatever gender they feel fit. It also allows for culprits of sexual abuse to get away with two years of imprisonment while it is seven years under the Indian Penal Code.
The problems of the LGBT+ community are addressed by the legal and political systems in every country. But only when the citizens of the country have the power to directly affect the political system and functioning do they gain the attention they deserve. This makes LGBT+ issues a pawn in the political system whose every move must be carefully planned. Instead of looking at it as a serious human issue. But despite all of our best efforts, protests, awareness marches, pride marches, and daily articles, we are denied so many basic rights.
So here is a list of things that the LGBT+ individuals still cannot do.
Donate Blood
In the UK, it is illegal for gay men to donate blood. The only way they are allowed to donate blood is if they abstain from sex for three months. This fear of the HIV virus has caused the country to drop over twenty-five percent of its donors. And now the gay men in the country have responded by conducting “illegal” blood drive that is also fueled by UNICEF.
Image Courtesy: NRP
In many countries, the fear of HIV spreading keeps medical facilities from accepting blood from gay men. The virus is serious and one has to be cautious about it. But the taboo around AIDS has to be broken. Also, AIDS can affect anyone. So why discriminate a community?
Either way, many countries still prohibit LGBT+ individuals from donating blood. And it takes a lot
Adopt
Transgender and gay couples or individuals are not allowed to adopt kids in a lot of countries. Even if a transgender person can give birth but declares a male gender identity, official documents do not permit him to recognize himself as the birth-giver or as a parent. Many homosexual couples are often denied from adopting a child because of the traditional idea of having a mother and a father to raise a child. Many children left are unadopted because countries ban gay couples from adopting. Trump undid the non-discrimination policy that Obama had in place. Gay couples are far more progressive and adopt children of colour, children with HIV, and even are proven to be excellent parents.
Forget children, even if a gay couple adopts a puppy, they are twice as likely to get a pet-nup so they don’t leave the dog in a mess if they break up. That is how responsible gay couples are. And yet, countries across the world have imposed several restrictions to keep gay couples from adopting.
Live in Certain Places
Not every place recognizes that the LGBT+ community exists. There are no special laws or provisions in place that allow homosexual relationships or marriages. Heteronomy runs at its peak and anyone who is not straight has to pretend to be straight.
And it is worse for transgender individuals. Their own families outcast them. People hesitate renting or leasing out a house for them to live. In India, one can easily observe transgender men and women begging on the streets or entering weddings and other events to bless the families and the couple and make money off of it.
Even if the luckily get a house to stay in, neighbours and passersby who know where the individuals live, harass them. A runner-up of the Miss Alina Transqueen, Silk, explained that strangers used to send her alcohol and food in the night, and break bottles at her window too.
Image Courtesy: AARP
Get Equal Education Access
Few years of Bullying, discrimination, and teasing later LGBT+ students still do not receive equal opportunities to receive an education they have worked hard for. A transgender pilot from Kerala got chased out of his house after his parents learnt of his gender. He had a degree from UK and yet colleges in India refused to pay him properly as a faculty. They discriminated against him and only gave him food and living allowance.
People tend to assume that they are doing the LGBT+ community a favor by providing jobs or opening up their homes. But the fact of the matter remains that the LGBT+ does not require condescending and pitying sympathy. They require equal opportunities to make themselves useful to society.
LGBT+ community deserves freedom. And it is not much to ask for. The community has fought for rights for decades together and yet barely sees any improvement in their living conditions. Do you think your country is doing better?
