Voting or identity? Transgender community faces difficult choice
NEW DELHI: As Delhi’s Assembly elections draw near, the transgender community continues to face systemic barriers that force them to choose between their right to vote and their right to be recognized. While cisgender voters navigate polling booths with ease, transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer individuals often encounter bureaucratic challenges, social stigma, and outright discrimination that make voting an uphill battle.
According to the latest electoral roll, only 1,261 transgender voters are registered in Delhi, a slight increase from 1,176 in the Lok Sabha elections, but still far below the 2011 Census figure of 4,200 transgender people. Civil society groups estimate that the actual transgender population in the city could be over one lakh, highlighting a severe underrepresentation in the electoral system. For many transgender individuals, obtaining official documents that accurately reflect their gender identity remains one of the biggest hurdles. While legal recognition of transgender persons exists, the process of updating voter ID cards is riddled with bureaucratic delays and misgendering. Sanya, a 27-year-old transgender woman from East Delhi, shared her ordeal, saying, “Getting my documents changed to reflect my gender identity was a nightmare.
Officials ask intrusive questions, demand unnecessary paperwork, and often refuse to update records properly. Many just give up because it’s exhausting.” Even those who manage to register often hesitate to vote due to the hostile environment at polling stations. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, only 28.01% of transgender voters in Delhi turned up to cast their vote, a much lower turnout compared to the general electorate. Many transgender voters report facing discomfort and confusion at polling booths, where separate queues for men and women exclude them. Kajal, a trans woman from Karol Bagh, recalled her experience at a polling station during a previous election. “Last time I went to vote, the officials didn’t know where to place me. It was humiliating, and I had to argue just to be allowed to vote.”
Others feel disillusioned with the political system itself, believing that their participation will not lead to any meaningful change. “Does it even matter if we cast our vote or not? What does the government even do for us? They announce so many schemes, but how much of it actually helps us? It is a daily struggle just to survive in this city,” said a transgender voter.
The transgender community in Delhi seeks inclusion in government welfare schemes like the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana and urges electoral reforms to ensure full participation and equal rights.
