India was in a dire need of legal protection and fundamental rights for transgender people and so after some back and forth, The Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Bill was cleared in both the houses. Sounds like a way forward right? 

But not quite so.  Several prominent Transgender rights activists feel that it’s regressive and a violation of their fundamental rights. What did the bill that’s meant to empower the trans community get so wrong?  This is The Big Story - the podcast where we dissect the headline making news for you . Today we’re talking about the The Trans Rights Bill that was moved by Thaawarchand Gehlot, the minister for social justice and empowerment.  It was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 5 2019, yes the same day that article 370 was abrogated in Kashmir. That caused such an uproar that this bill got passed almost unnoticed without any objection. Then, in the middle of the Maharashtra govt formation drama, it got cleared in the Rajya Sabha without any amendments when in fact it needed some crucial changes.

Host & Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha

Producer: Shelly Walia