Bangalore, November 7: The Campaign for Sexworkers & Sexuality Minorities Rights (CSMR) here on Wednesday demanded that the State government revoke Section 36 (A) of the Karnataka Police Act.
Addressing a press conference here in the city, CSMR members said that the Act was against the fundamental rights of sexuality minorities. They demanded for an Atrocities Act with strict punishment measures for anyone who indulged in hate crimes against the sexuality minorities and transgenders.
Legal response
They also said that a legal response must be ensured whenever there was a case of violence involving the police, state or even relatives of the family.
They stressed on provision of medical facilities enabling female-to-male and male-to-female transition for transgenders, free SRS (sex reassignment surgery), hormone replacement treatment and counselling in government hospitals. They said that the sexuality minorities and sex workers who are HIV-positive must be provided with free and confidential testing centres. They urged for the implementation of the government order based on the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission’s recommendations.
More demands
Other demands included access to state services and entitlements (including ID cards, insurance, housing facility among others) without discrimination to all sexuality minorities; reservation of jobs for the trans-community in educational sectors and public transport; separate areas within public bathrooms for the transcommunity; demand for anti-discrimination law for housing, education and work spaces; labour rights; revision of laws on adoption, marriage and inheritance; programmes to tackle homophobia, trans-phobia and sexist notions among others.
Queer Habba
The CSMR is organising the Karnataka Queer Habba and Bangalore Pride 2013 in the city from November 6 to 24. The festival will conclude with the Pride March on November 24 and as part of the festival preceding the Bangalore Pride, various events are being rganised from Wednesday, including photo exhibitions, discussions and debates, queer-bowling, garage sale, marathon, poster making and queer theatre among others.
