Double marginalisation of trans people: Shunned by society, ignored by government-OxBig News Network

Back in 2021, during the peak of the second wave of COVID-19 in Bengaluru, two transgender women, Anandi and Aisha Kousar, had to sell their gold earrings to make a living. The two transwomen eventually bought a pushcart, stove, gas and basic cooking equipment to sell tea and snacks to workers at Hudson Circle, with the determination to take care of their three adopted children.

While Anandi and Aisha were able to start a small business with the small amount of gold they had, many others from the transgender community continue to face significant challenges in accessing basic education, employment opportunities, and support for entrepreneurship, as sustained attention and meaningful welfare measures for sexual minorities from the State government and local bodies remain limited.

Ignored in State Budget

The Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government in March presented its Budget for 2025-26, which had no mention of allocation of funds for the sexual minorities in the State. Right after the Budget, at a press conference, members of the Movement for Gender and Sexual Pluralism (MGSP) voiced strong concerns over the continued marginalisation of gender and sexual minorities. Activists criticised the Chief Minister for “repeatedly overlooking” the needs of their community, despite several appeals for financial allocation and inclusive policy reforms. 

Manohar Elavarthi, a representative of the movement, noted that they had submitted five key demands ahead of the Budget, aimed at enhancing opportunities and welfare for gender and sexual minorities. Their demands included the introduction of a dedicated welfare scheme for transgender individuals, increasing financial support for entrepreneurs from gender and sexual minority communities to ₹2 lakh from the existing ₹50,000, free sex reassignment surgeries, job training aligned with the 1% horizontal reservation which is provided in government jobs, and the creation of a separate government body to monitor and advance their welfare.

Expressing disappointment at the lack of response, Elavarathi questioned why a budget exceeding ₹4 lakh crore could not allocate something for upliftment of marginalised communities. As per the 2011 census, Karnataka had a transgender population of 20,266, which now, according to people from the community, may have doubled.

No mention in civic Budget

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Budget for 2025-26 does not hold great promise either. The civic body has allocated ₹10 crore for the welfare of economically backward classes, that includes the transgender community.

The budget says the BBMP will provide financial assistance to entrepreneurs by bearing 50% of the project cost or a maximum of ₹ 2 lakh for only 500 eligible candidates from all backward classes. There are 9,182 transgender individuals residing in Bengaluru as of December 2022, according to official records from the Bengaluru Urban District Commissioner.

Speaking to The Hindu, Rekha (name changed), a 38-year-old transwoman, who begs near K.R. Market said, “I have been begging at signals for years, not because I want to, but because I was never given a chance to study or work. A little support from the government, a scheme, and a job training programme, could change so much. But there is nothing for us.”

Unlike Rekha, Meena (name changed), a 30-year-old, managed to get trained as a beautician but still faces several hurdles. “I managed to complete a beautician’s course with the help of an NGO, but I still struggle to pay rent and buy products. For now, I work at a friend’s beauty parlour or do house services. It is hard for transwoman beauticians to find customers, as customers are scared to just be around us. With no support from the government, setting up my parlour will remain a dream. We were hoping the government would at least support transgender entrepreneurs this time, maybe offer loans or subsidies. But once again, our hopes have been ignored. We do not want charity, we want opportunity.”

Succour in guarantees

Transgender activist Akkai Padmashali says the community welcomes the move of the State government to extend five guarantees to the transgender community. However, they want more in terms of educational and work opportunities.

Transgender rights activist Akkai Padmashali.
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR

“The Budget in general is lacking focus on the vulnerable sections including Devadasis, sex workers and others. If a person wants to start a business or start-up, the minimum requirement is ₹5 lakh, but the government is not giving enough. The State must also have a separate Budget for the community based on the population of each city, the trans community’s population in Bengaluru is different to that of the community of Hubballi or Dharwad.”

Akkai added that the community would soon meet politicians, including Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and the Chief Minister, to demand a separate Budget allocation for the transgender community.  

Rakshitha Mallikarjuna, a transgender activist from Ondede that focuses on the welfare of young trans persons, said, “It is disappointing that the State government has been ignoring our community in the last few Budgets. In the 2023-24 Budget, the pension amount for individuals from the community increased from ₹800 to ₹1,200, but not everyone from the community is receiving it. When we were included in the Gruha Lakshmi scheme our community was happy, but just like the pension, not every transwoman across the State receives funds through this scheme. The BBMP’s minimal inclusion of our community in their budget too is disappointing.”

Vinod Kartavya, a social worker who has been closely working with the trans community for many years, argued that the trans community has no one to call their “family” which is why they need additional support. “Their parents or siblings abandon them, which is not only emotionally traumatic but also plays a huge role in transgender people not having a permanent address and possessing basic documents or services like an Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence, ration card, bank accounts and more. If the government does not help the community set up their businesses, build their homes and lead a normal life like all of us do, it will continue to be hard to them to make even subsistence living.”

No welfare board

According to the Karnataka State Policy on Transgenders – 2017, the State must have a welfare board for the community to protect the rights and interests of transgender persons, ensuring access to welfare schemes and addressing any grievances. The board is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the policy, including issuing identity cards, conducting awareness programs, and initiating welfare initiatives. But the formation of the board is long pending.

“There is no progress on the welfare board at all. We are also demanding to have at least one person from the community as a representative in the Legislative Assembly or Council because being a political representative or being within the political circles is the only way to go forward,” said Akkai.

Vinod added that the government has been facing difficulty even in the identification of transgender persons. “The problem with the trans community is that they are nomads, moving around from area to area, making it difficult for the government to identify them. There are also men simply dressed in sarees and wigs who are not really transwomen, as begging is a source of income. When asked to be identified, these men run away. So the community remains very scattered and does not have an identity. To form a welfare board, the government needs a solid representative from the community.”