Trans Amendment Act, jobs among top concerns for trans community ahead of Assembly polls

With only 7,617 registered trans voters in Tamil Nadu, representatives of the community say party manifestos for the April 23 Assembly election carry only a few measures, leaving a long list of unmet demands out of the discourse. Still outside the mainstream, they say their concerns are overlooked, persistently.

Many in the community are disappointed with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026 – the Union government’s changes to a 2019 transgender law, which dismantles the right to self-identify one’s gender. The amendment, transpersons say, takes away legal recognition, among other things.