BENGALURU: The state government failed to provide sufficient and quality ration to transgenders during the pandemic to the transgender community in Bengaluru, says a report released by the Alternative Law Forum (ALF).
The report, titled 'Asserting dignity in times of COVID-19', on transgender communities’ experience of Covid in Bengaluru, prepared by human rights activist Rumi Harish and ALF research consultant Sunil Mohan, spoke of apprehension on part of the state to provide ration to people without ration cards.
It also explained about "BBMP's deep-rooted bias towards the community" which was revealed when substandard ration kits, filled with germs and insects, were distributed to some transgender persons. The report called for attention towards unemployment, economic inequality, discrimination, mental health issues and challenges faced by the community when they tried to carry out relief work on their own.
It said that all government welfare schemes, including relief work during COVID, are based on heteronormative nuclear families comprising a father, a mother and two to three children. "The reality is, many queer or trans persons don’t live in such family systems which is recognised through a ration card by the government. In Hamams (a house where many transgenders live together), there are ‘chelas’ with their 'gurus' and sisters in their tradition.
"There will be different numbers in such alternative or chosen families which the government does not consider and understand. So, a relief kit made for four or five people of a heteronormative family is not appropriate for trans or queer families. This lack of understanding restricted the number of people from queer and trans families who could avail relief support," an excerpt read.
An example given in the report said that an organisation that works for assigned female at birth trans and queer communities shared that BBMP insisted on clicking photos of the relief kits it provided to these communities and their families. Hearing this, the organisation decided to return the kits to BBMP.
Firstly, the quality of the kits was below edible standards and secondly, this particular community is more vulnerable than the assigned male at birth transgender communities, hence many of them did not want to be outed in the name of getting relief kits.
"The inability to move people living with HIV particularly hit hard as the access to medicines was a matter of survival and it was difficult to get to the hospitals to access the medicines," the report added.