Extend shelter facilities to all LGBTQIA+ people, Centre told

The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has to bear in mind that persons from the LGBTQIA+ community do not have any support from their family or the society at large, the Madras High Court said, directing it to extend the dedicated shelter for transpersons to all members of the community

Justice N Anand Venkatesh issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by a lesbian couple, who had sought protection against the harassment from the police and their families. During the earlier hearings, the judge had passed several directions to the Centre and State governments to initiate steps to ensure a dignified life for the community members.

Recording the Ministry’s submission that it has established Garima Greh, a shelter for transpersons, the judge asked it to include all members of the LGBTQAI+ as beneficiaries, as transpersons form only a fraction of the entire community.

“The benefit under the scheme has to be extended to the entire LGBTQIA+ community and must not be confined only to transgender persons. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment shall take this into consideration and enlarge the scope of this scheme,” the judge said.

Justice Anand Venkatesh also directed the State government to come out with a consistent guide and prospective glossary containing words and expressions that could be used to address them in a dignified manner, pointing out that such a glossary published by the government would have more force and would thus be easier to implement.

During the hearing on December 23, S Manuraj, the petitioners’ counsel who is assisting the court, submitted a table consisting of 24 Tamil words with English translations and explanations, proposing the State government to use those words for addressing people belonging to the community.

“At some stage, there must be a beginning where persons belonging to this community are addressed in a more dignified manner,” the judge observed, and asked the Additional Advocate General to take note of words and expressions suggested by the petitioners’ counsel. They should be forwarded to the State government, facilitating it to come up with a standardised guide/prospective glossary, he said.

“Once the government publishes the same, it will have more force and will be easier to implement. This court expects that such a prospective glossary will be placed before this court before the next date of hearing,” the judge said while posting the matter to February 18.

He also asked the media to take into consideration these words and expressions, to be used while addressing