- The Union Cabinet has approved the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019.
- The Bill aims at the social, economic and educational empowerment of transgender persons.
- Under the bill, transgender persons are defined as those “whose gender does not match the gender assigned to that person at birth and includes trans-men or trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons having socio-cultural identities”
- The Bill prohibits any person or establishment from discriminating against a transgender person in any way.
- According to the bill, a person would have the right to choose to be identified as a man, woman or transgender, irrespective of sex reassignment surgery (SRS) and hormonal therapy
- It also states that the government, through an insurance scheme, will cover medical expenses for sex reassignment surgery, hormonal therapy, laser therapy or any such health related expenses of transgender persons
- The Bill has proposed establishing a National Council for Transgender persons. The Council would advise the central government on related policies and legislation and also act as a centre for grievance redressal
