It's the best day of our lives: LGBT community

CHANDIGARH: Calling it the best day of their lives, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community of Chandigarh on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's historic decision of creating a "third gender" for them.
Dhananjay, a resident of Sector 14 and member of LGBT community, said, "The Supreme Court has acknowledged third gender in a landmark judgment that asks the government to make sure that transgender get job quotas and facilities, including passport and driving licence."
"If the Supreme Court orders are followed in true sense by society, the situation will definitely change for us," he added.
Bubbly Chauhan, a resident of Sector 42 and member of the community, said, "The progress of the country depends on human rights of the people. We are very happy with the SC judgment, as we have been given same rights as men and women."
This is for the first time that the third gender has got a formal recognition.
Bikram Kohli, a transgender rights activist, said, "The judgment is a major victory for their rights. They had been marginalized and denied of their rights for many years. With this judgment, the SC has reaffirmed its role as the protector of minority rights. The Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all Indians regardless of their differences."
However, Aditi, a resident of Kajheri and member of the community, felt that the SC statement of placing the community as other backward classes (OBC) was not justified. "Many people in the community belong to upper and elite classes and have houses in posh areas. Calling them OBC will be unjustified," she said.