The Madras High court on Wednesday (September 1) directed the Tamil Nadu government to amend rules to take appropriate action against cops who harass people from the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) community or those belonging to NGOs supporting such people.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh issued the direction after expressing disappointment over complaints of police personnel harassing LGBTQIA+ members as well the NGOs supporting them.
Venkatesh said that despite him issuing comprehensive directions on June 7 to various stakeholders, including the state government, to provide counselling, monetary support, legal assistance and protection to the LGBTQIA+ community members, no changes were effected to help those who face serious discriminations in the society.
He said that sensitisation programme for police personnel on how to deal with LGBTQIA+ people were not followed adding that such sensitisation programme must be conducted by persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community or NGO members who are involved in protecting and looking after the welfare of such people.
The judge asked Advocate General R. Shanmugasundaram to direct the authorities concerned to be more proactive on the issue.
He also said that Tamil Nadu has made several progressive reforms, but he could not understand why the police personnel still continue to harass the members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Coming down heavy on the media for ‘insensitive’ reporting about LGBTQIA+ community, Justice Venkatesh said, “The reportage of the most intimate and personal aspects of an individual’s identity by the contemporary vernacular media is deeply problematic.”
“It not only reflects the pre-existing harmful stigmatisation of the society, but also perpetuates it. Stigmatising inaccurate and inherently unscientific terms like ‘A man turned into a woman’ or a ‘Woman turned into a man’ are based on queerphobia and cannot be tolerated or entertained any further. It is high time journalists stick to sensitive and inclusive terms on the gender spectrum,” Justice Anand Venkatesh said.
He said that it reposes confidence in the press and urges it to show more sensitivity while reporting such cases.
Recently, it was reported that Chengalpattu Collector Rahul Nadh IAS allegedly harassed the southern representative of the National Council for Transgender Persons, Gopi Shankar Madurai by initiating action against him and other fellow members of his community while they had gathered at a place to discuss the problems faced by the trans community.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has sought an ‘action taken report’ from the DGP of Tamil Nadu on the harassment and abuse meted out to trans-activist.
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