Separate panel for sexual minorities

Bengaluru: Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader said on Saturday that for the first time in the country, the state government has come forward to set up a separate commission for transgenders and sexual minorities.

Mr Khader told the media that the bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha pertaining the constitution of State Commission for Transgenders and Sexual Minorities and has been presented before the Lok Sabha.

“This is being done even before the Union government has constituted a commission. Tamil Nadu has a transgender welfare board, but not a commission,” he said. He said that the welfare commission will look into jobs and reservations for the sexual minorities and transgenders.

“In today’s meeting, we decided that there would be a national-level conference to discuss issues of transgenders and sexual minorities. The conference will be held either in November or the first week of December,” he said.