THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government on Thursday announced a historic decision to include the word ‘she’ along with ‘he’ while referring to individuals in new legislations. Law Minister P Rajeeve said The Kerala High Court Services (Determination of Retirement Age) Amendment Bill, 2022, passed on Thursday, was the first legislation under the reform. ‘He’ is used in legislations as per the provision in the Central Act General Clauses Act, 1897, the minister said.
The minister said the House had witnessed this demand during some discussions on amendment bills in the past. It could not be done then because the amendment pertained to limited sections of the original act. “But today’s bill had the convenience that it refers to ‘he’ only at one place. The minister said the reform is to use ‘she’ or ‘he’ and not ‘he’ or ‘she.’
However, the transgender will have to wait for such an honour, it seems. Soon after the minister’s announcement, CPM legislator N K Akbar representing the Guruvayur seat, pointed out the impropriety in excluding the gender. The minister said there were limitations in including transgender because of some conditions on disclosure of identity in the LGBT Act. “We are examining the possibility. The government too shares the same feeling. It will be considered while framing the next legislation,” he said.
Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan raised another doubt whether the reform will exclude the transgender from the ambit of the Act because ‘he’ or ‘she’ is specifically stated. The minister said the legal opinion was that ‘he’ would include transgender as well.