KOZHIKODE: District sub-judge R.L. Byju has said the LGBT (lesbian-gay-bisexual-and transgender) community in the state is facing an extreme stigma making it difficult for them to be visible in society. Inaugurating a seminar on issues of the third gender here on Thursday, the judge said transgenders including their family members were not trying to understand them.
He pointed out that laws are insufficient to address their issues. Dr Shashi Tharoor's Bill seeking to amend Section 377 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises homosexuality, was shot down in Parliament, he pointed out.
The seminar, organized by the Volery Health Services in association with Kerala Aids Control Service Society and Institute for Rural Development, discussed various problems the community faced and presented them before the advocates, who offered legal aid to 343 transgenders in the district.
Different sessions in the seminar included classes and discussions based on the topic, and the speakers analysed its social and legal aspects. Two members of the community shared their experiences.
