Tamil Nadu has amended the legislation governing its police force to include a ban on all harassment of LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual) people and is likely to be the first specific law in India to do so with safeguards against police violence against marginalized communities.

Changes to the Tamil Nadu Junior Police Code of Conduct were published in the Government Gazette on Wednesday. A few months ago, the Madras High Court ordered the state government to sensitize police to LGBTQIA issues.

“No police officer shall harass anyone who is part of the LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual)+ community and who works for the welfare of that community,” the government ordered said the signatory additional chief secretary SK Prabhakar.

Last September, Madras HC passed a series of orders outlawing discrimination and community prejudice after hearing petitions from two women who ran away from home after being harassed and bullied by their families. Justice Anand Venkatesh issued a specific order asking the government to stop police harassment of same-sex couples, saying it was due to indifference and lack of awareness.

Activists welcomed the order. “We think this is a very important order to help reduce police violence in our community. We have lost many trans brothers and sisters to harassment and brutality. We are also harassed and tortured by police every day. We hope this Laws can be enforced to end this,” said Grace Banu, a Dalit and trans rights activist.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times