Transgender community seek housing facilities

Mangaluru: The transgender community demanded for their rights as others in the country.

Dakshina Kannada Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Committee here had a gathering to spread awareness on voting.

Addressing the gathering, Kajal from this community said that sexuality minorities need employment, housing and respect from the society. “We are also human beings. Though the country has got independence, we still have not,” she said, adding that earlier she had to resort to begging for a living.

Sandhya, another member of this community, said that most of them are homeless and don’t have shelter. They said that many have been forced to sleep at bus stands and bus shelters as most of the landlords do not encourage to rent out houses for them.

Responding to the community members, M.R. Ravi, chairman of the DK SVEEP Committee and CEO of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, said the government and judiciary have recognised the rights of sexuality minorities and it will take some time for things to change, ” he said.

It has been estimated that the district has around 1,672 sexuality minorities.