Empathising with the LGBTQIA+ community

Empathising with the LGBTQIA+ community

Subject : Social Issue

Context: Empathising with the LGBTQIA+ community, the Madras High Court directed the Union Ministry of Social Justice to enlist NGOs that could provide counselling, monetary support, legal assistance and protection to them until a law could be enacted to protect them.

Concept :

• Ministry should upload the details of the NGOs on its website within eight weeks and revise the information periodically. Any person who faced an issue because he/she/they belonged to the LGBTQIA+ community could approach any of the enlisted NGOs for safeguarding their rights.
• NGOs should also coordinate with the police with respect to offences committed against them.
• Appropriate changes should be made to the existing government short stay homes, anganwadi shelters, GarimaGreh (shelter home for transgender persons) for providing accommodation, food, medical care facilities to those from the community in need of such assistance.
• Sensitisation programmes could also be conducted for stakeholders, including police and prison authorities, judges, physical and mental health professionals, educational institutions, health workers, public and private workplaces.
• LGBTQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and such others’ (LGBTQIA+) community.