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Officially no 'third gender' in Gandhinagar

The study was carried out by Shrut Brahmbhatt and Sonia Shali, assistant professors at the United World School of Law

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A study on the socio-legal position of transgenders in Gandhinagar has found that not a single government identity card has been issued to a transgender, where they have identified themselves as the 'third gender' in the state capital.

The study covered 97 transgenders of eight clans in the four tehsils of Kalol, Mansa, Dehegam, and Gandhinagar in the district.

The study titled 'Empirical Study on Transgender Identity' found that not a single government identity card takes cognisance of the 97 transgenders (or kinnars as they are locally called) as third gender persons. This because, no one had applied for the same. This was revealed through data collected from officials of the nagarpalika, mamlatdar, and municipality offices.

Here, government identity cards refer to voter id card, Aadhaar, driving licence, etc.

The study was carried out by Shrut Brahmbhatt and Sonia Shali, assistant professors at the United World School of Law. When the professors surveyed the 97 kinnars, they found that while 94 per cent did not have any government card where they identified themselves as the third gender.

This difference, the study argued, could be because the transgenders who got i-cards identifying themselves as the third gender could have got it issued from their native places other than the tehsils of Gandhinagar.

"We realised that despite an SC judgment, what kept kinnars from getting the right id-card is plain ignorance. They live in clans and most run away or are thrown out of their homes during their teens when they exhibit confused sexuality,"said Brahmbhatt. He said most them join a clan and remain uneducated.

"Forget about the SC judgment, they did not even know what the Supreme Court is. In such a case, it is not a surprise that they have not bothered to get any identity card proclaiming themselves as the third gender," said Brahmbhatt.

The study that also covered attitudes toward kinnars among 700 people, found that those under the age of 25 were more supportive of the community, including acceptance of a relative or family member proclaiming themselves as kinnars. The study found the highest resistance among those over the age of 45. The under 25 age group was also the most open to employing kinnars at home or workplace.

STUDY FINDINGS

  • The study was carried out by Shrut Brahmbhatt and Sonia Shali, assistant professors at the United World School of Law. 
     
  • When the professors surveyed the 97 kinnars, they found that 94 per cent did not have any government card where they identified themselves as the third gender.
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