UNDP hails landmark SC judgment on the rights of transgenders

The United Nations Development Programme has hailed the  landmark Supreme Court judgment granting recognition to transgenders as the third category of sex.

In the press release published on the website, Lise Grande, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative said, “UNDP joins the community and country in celebrating the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment. We congratulate the Government of India, the National Legal Services Authority and the transgender community for their efforts to affirm that individuals have the right to choose their identity.”

The key highlights of the judgment were also mentioned as following:

Recognition of people who identify in the opposite sex is based on self-identification. This includes female identifying as male and male identifying as female

Discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation and gender identity amounts to discrimination on the ground of sex under Article 15

No Sex Reassignment surgery is required for recognition of gender identity

The right of individuals to choose their gender identity is protected under the Constitution