Through the Cracks of the Gendered World: A Critical Analysis of Kerala’s Transgender Policy

Abstract

Seventy years after Independence, it was only in 2019 that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act was passed in India. Following this, many states formed Transgender Welfare Boards with a view to protecting the rights of the trans people, ending discrimination and violence against them, and empowering the community. It was the State of Kerala which was the first to introduce a Transgender Policy in 2015, setting an example to other states. Nevertheless, this ad hoc policy framework was incapable of addressing the concerns of a group which is both homogeneous and diverse. This paper examines how far the state government has internalized the Transgender Persons Act, 2019 in its state law or policy. The key focus of the paper is to assess the welfare measures adopted by the state, as recommended by the Transgender Act, and how far the objectives of the policy have been realized. The impact of the policy upon the target population will be the evaluated through qualitative research.

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