Won’t give up, willing to go all the way until third gender get their rights: Justice Venkatesh

CHENNAI: I will not give up until I bring change into the life of the third gender, and I’m willing to go through any amount of suffering, which is inevitable for any person determined to make a change, Justice N Anand Venkatesh said while hearing a case for the protection of rights for the LGBTQIA+ community.

"History has taught us that a person trying to bring about change must suffer, and I am ready to undergo that suffering; I will not give up until my retirement as a judge of this High Court," Justice Anand noted.

The judge seriously objected to and expressed his dissatisfaction with the medical curriculum published by the National Medical Council (NMC), terming people of the third gender as persons with gender identity disorder.

"The usage of the term shows our society's mindset, it should be changed, otherwise there is no use hearing the case and issuing orders for protecting the rights of the third gender," observed the judge.

There is no disorder here; it is the way nature created them, said the judge.

The counsel for the petitioner sought the court’s permission to file a written objection to NMC, and the court granted permission.

The State sought time to finalise the draft of trans persons (protection of rights) rules separately from the draft for others in the LGBTQIA+ community.

The judge wondered about the decision of the State to prepare a separate draft but directed to file the final report on February 17.

He also directed the state to file a report on complications for the government in formulating comprehensive rules for the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole.