(The list is endless)
In 2015, the USA finally got on board with the majority of the western world by legalizing gay marriage, giving hope to a number of people across the country. However, in 2016 things took a step backwards, with the transphobic bathroom laws, not to forget the mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub.
Coming back to India, in 2014, the Supreme Court accorded the status of third gender to transgender people, giving them the write to determine the gender they identify with. Further in 2015, three regional parties have moved private member bill in Parliament for their welfare. Last month, union cabinet moved legislation for offences against them. However self definition and job reservations are absent in the new bill.
And that’s not all, with the number of suicides increasing among LGBT identified young people, the next few years don’t look too promising However, that’s not to say that things aren’t improving. The LGBT community now, more than ever, is at their most prominent. With more and more individuals in the public eye coming out, and a more relaxed stance on the majority of attitudes towards sex and sexuality, it is a time where LGBT voices are finally being heard.
