LAHORE: The Khwaja Sira Welfare Board has demanded the government turn the new transgender bill recently approved by the National Assembly into a law.

The demand was made by the transgender activists in a press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Monday.

Transgender activist Neeli Rana said the law for protecting transgender persons was the need of the hour and that it had already faced enough delay.

“This is a very big day for us that we have been recognised finally as the third sex, and that our rights are being discussed. Now, we will also have access to education, health services and other basic needs,” she said.

At the conference was also Nayab Ali, who has a plan to contest upcoming election as an independent candidate from NA-142 Okara. She said she had done a lot of welfare work in her area but she was facing threats for contesting election.

“Yesterday someone purposely slammed his car into my motorbike and I suffered injury,” Nayab said showing her injured foot.

The others said they were relieved that according to the bill, sex of the transgender would be according to their own self-identification.

“This means that medical records and medical examination would not be required to prove that one is a transgender person. Instead, the person will be believed if he or she says that they are a transperson,” the activists said.

Neeli also hoped the government would keep a separate quota for transpersons in the assemblies.

According to the bill, the issue of inheritance would also be resolved, which the transgender activists termed a blessing.

They said according to the bill, the transwoman (born male who identifies herself as a woman) would get a woman’s share and a transman (born female who identifies himself as a man) would get the man’s share. However, they lamented that Haj being their right as Muslims was not always easy as they were not recognised in the Middle Eastern countries. They added that they had challenged the census as it did not encompass all trans communities.

“We need the state to accept us because we are ready to reach out and change our lives but we need to earn through proper professions,” said Moon Ali.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2018