Trans activists protest over identity verification rule

Patna: Transgender activists organised a torchlight procession at Kargil Chowk here on Wednesday evening to protest the Transgender Persons (Amendment) Act, 2026, which they criticised for mandating them to prove their gender identity before a medical board.Social worker Vishal Kumar said the protest was aimed at opposing what he termed a dehumanising provision that violates the principle of self-identification. He said the group plans to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister and other authorities seeking amendments to the law. The protesters also intend to file writ petitions in the Patna High Court as well as the Supreme Court. Cynthia Mathew, a lawyer at the Patna High Court, also participated in the demonstration. She said she is currently pursuing over 20 cases related to transgender rights in the city. Mathew described the law, which she claimed was passed without adequate discussion, as regressive and violative of fundamental rights. She said gender identity should not be subject to scrutiny and that the right to identify as transgender is inherent.Firdaus, a member of the transgender community, said the protests would continue until their rights are restored, asserting that gender identity cannot be determined solely by biological anatomy.