Context

Last year, at a closed-door tribunal, a feminist activist encountered several very young trans individuals from both rural and urban working-class backgrounds. It was deeply distressing to witness teenagers who had been brutalized and cast out by their families, struggling with suicide attempts and enduring persecution and violence on the streets. In the midst of the heated debates about the 'transgender question,' their voices serve as a poignant reminder of what is truly at stake. This issue transcends Western culture wars or discussions about sex, gender, or sports. It fundamentally concerns the right of every person to be recognized and respected for who they are.

Overview

• In April 2014, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark ruling, declaring that an individual’s sexual orientation is a crucial aspect of their personality, dignity, and freedom. The Court also officially recognized transgender people as a third gender.
• Approximately 487,000 people identified as transgender. A significant portion of this population is concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, one of India's primary states, where 28.18% of transgender individuals reside.

Once Controversial Issues Now Seen as Universal Rights

• Thought in the past: Human rights principles that are now considered universal were once contentious issues, debated as "questions" or "problems": slavery, women's rights, racial segregation, suffrage, untouchability, inter-caste marriage, age of consent, LGBTQ+ rights, and antisemitism. Historical figures and editorials addressed these topics extensively. For instance, bathroom segregation was once justified as a means to protect white women from Black men, and raids on bathrooms targeted gay men under the guise of protecting boys. Today's "bathroom bills" targeting trans women echo these outdated, discredited arguments.
• Nazi thought: A Nazi member of the International Olympics Committee proposed that female athletes at the 1940 Games provide doctors' certificates confirming their gender. Ironically, this policy was implemented in 1948, after the Nazi defeat, requiring female Olympians to submit affidavits from doctors certifying their gender.
• Denying civil rights: What were once seen as legitimate “questions” were actually attempts to deny civil rights? Today, only the far-right seeks to revive these outdated debates and, predictably, opposes trans rights. However, some so-called progressive intellectuals and activists frame trans rights as a contentious issue that warrants debate, which allows critics to accuse trans rights advocates of being unreasonable and violent. Historically, movements we now celebrate faced similar accusations. Black people, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals who fought for their rights were often labelled as rioters and troublemakers.
• Biological sex is a fact: The gender-critical stance asserts that "biological sex is real," implying that transgender identities are not. Advocates of this view push for laws that reject trans personhood in areas like education, public facilities, and healthcare. The far-right supports these efforts, as seen in a 2022-23 U.S. Congress bill that sought to ban federally-funded libraries and schools from containing materials on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex education. Such laws also often target the recognition of homosexuality.

Existence Is Not an Abstract Debate

• Legally recognize the identity: The existence of trans individuals should not be reduced to a mere academic debate or seen as a passing trend. It is crucial that their identities are legally recognized and affirmed, not dismissed as mere 'lifestyle choices.' Comparing the current struggle for trans rights to past battles for gay marriage illustrates the same underlying issue: the fight for equal recognition and legal rights.
• Acceptance: The far-right dismisses trans identities as mere products of 'gender ideology,' while gender-critical discourse similarly reduces them to symptoms of a broader ideological trend. This dismissal overlooks the broader rejection of human rights, multiculturalism, and other progressive values as 'liberal elite ideology.'
• Rigid male/female binary: The debate around sexual identity and gender is not as clear-cut as some argue. J.K. Rowling’s definition of a woman as someone who produces ova contrasts sharply with Simone de Beauvoir’s perspective in The Second Sex. De Beauvoir argued that gender is not simply determined by biological sex but is intertwined with our social experience. Her view challenged the rigid male/female binary and emphasized that gendered consciousness is not confined to specific anatomical forms.
• The current ‘culture wars:  over gender and sexuality are not a unique disruption but a typical reactionary backlash against marginalized groups demanding equal dignity and rights.

The True Measure of Society

Science fiction often clarifies modern issues by placing them in a different context.

• In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the trial of Data, an android, questions whether he is property or a person with rights. Captain Picard argues that the case is not about Data’s parts but about humanity’s values and the measure of our character. The verdict will reflect our society’s principles, determining how we extend or restrict personal liberty and freedom.
• Historically: marginalized groups including Black bodies, were studied with similar detachment. It is not the identities of trans or gay people that are fragmented but the attitudes of those who question their humanity. Examining their bodies to assess their ‘realness’ is inherently dehumanizing.

Conclusion

Being transgender is a profound aspect of the human experience, showcasing the rich diversity of identity and the fundamental need for each person to be acknowledged and respected for who they are. The fight for trans rights transcends mere questions of gender identity; it is a struggle for the core principles of dignity, equality, and personal freedom that define our shared humanity. Supporting trans individuals means embracing the full range of human identity and affirming that every person’s existence and rights are essential to our collective sense of humanity.

Source: The Hindu