INDIAIndia’s national capital, Delhi, elects first trans city councilperson

The trans community faced discrimination for centuries but after Parliament passed a 2019 law things are changing

Published By Ankush Kuma

DELHI, India – The Indian Supreme Court in 2014 issued a landmark ruling that recognized transgender people as a third gender, and not as a medical or social issue but a human rights issue. This decision paved the way for legislation — the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act — that came in 2019.

The law prohibits discrimination against trans people in education, health, employment and access to services. And India’s national capital, Delhi, at the end of 2022 elected its first trans city councilperson.

On Dec. 7, when the country woke up to watch the results of a high stakes election in Delhi in which the incumbent government, Bhartiya Janta Party, after ruling for 15 years, was in a tight race with the Aam Aadmi Party. The AAP’s Bobby Kinner, a trans woman, won in Sultanpuri-A ward, defeating BJP’s Ekta Jatav and the Indian National Congress’s Varuna Dhaka.

While talking with the Washington Blade, Kinner said that before joining politics, she was running a non-governmental organization that helped women in Delhi who faced abuse from their in-laws and poor widows. Kinner also said she made all the arrangements with her own money for the weddings of about 100 poor girls in Delhi.

Kinner distributes rice and other food supplies to poor women and men in her area every month.

While recollecting memories from her old work, she said she used to bless people with the birth of babies, marriages and opening ceremonies of shops, and in return, people paid her money. But she said that she used all those money for the social welfare of the poor.

Trans women in India for centuries have lived under extreme poverty and social isolation.

Trans women locally are called ‘kinner’ and they often dance and sing songs at weddings, birth and other auspicious ceremonies. They bless people, and people, in return, pay money. The trans community has faced discrimination for centuries in the country and is considered to be marginalized. But after Parliament passed the 2019 law, things are changing for the community.

Kinner said she has always participated in social work. Remembering 2011, when the Indian National Congress was ruling the country and was facing corruption charges and a massive anti-corruption campaign led by Anna Hazare, Kinner said that she also participated in that campaign. When the campaign ended current, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal formed his political party: The AAP.

Kinner later joined AAP.

She said she was already doing social work for the poor without any outside donations. So, if she gets political power, she can impact many marginalized people with positive change.

“I have faced many problems to reach where I am at today,” Kinner told the Blade. “I do not think that heterosexual people face such problems as I have faced. People have taunted me. I have cried many times. People have told me that you are a ‘kinner’ (trans woman.) How can you serve the people? People have told me that your only work is to sing and dance at weddings and the birth of a newborn.”

She did not give up, even after she faced so much discrimination and taunting from the largely conservative society. She accepted the challenge and fought against powerful and experienced politicians.

“Is it necessary that if I am a ‘kinner,’ I cannot do what others can?” said Kinner with pain in her voice. “There should be a sense of serving people and those who need. If someone has these things, anyone can become a politician.”

Kinner said she has received threats from local politicians after her election. She said the local male politicians feel jealous as to how can a trans woman defeat a man. She said local leaders are jealous, and someone even tried to kill her by shooting at her home when she was inside.

Kinner said she is grateful to Kejriwal for the opportunity to fight the election. She wants to work extensively as a counselor in her area and help her people.

“I thank the honorable Supreme Court of India for the opportunity that I got today because of the ruling in favor of LGBTQ community,” said Kinner.” I wish every member of LGBTQ community work for the society.”

Ankush Kumar is a freelance reporter who has covered many stories for Washington and Los Angeles Blades from Iran, India and Singapore. He recently reported for the Daily Beast. He can be reached at mohitk@opiniondaily.news. He is on Twitter at @mohitkopinion.

Courtesy : Los Angeles Blade

Note: This news piece was originally published in losangelesblade.in and used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights