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It is rather unimaginable for cis and heterosexual individuals to fathom the kind of atrocities members of the LGBTQ+ community face, not just in India, but globally. Consciously, and also due to the subconscious bias of most people, the community is forced to deal with othering, isolation, and harassment.
One of these harmful acts of discrimination stems from police personnel, the very people charged with protecting them. In a step toward relief, the Tamil Nadu government has amended the Subordinate Police Officers Conduct Rules.
The order reads, “No police officer shall indulge in any act of harassment of any person belonging to the LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) community and those working for the welfare of the community.”
In simplicity, it conveys that any harassment of the LGBTQ+ community by the state police is an offence, and punishable by law. Additionally, any misconduct against the activists of the NGOs that support the community will also be considered a punishable offence.
However, it also mentions that “harassment does not include the right of police to make any enquiry as per the procedure established by law.”
The call for setting it in stone lawfully is itself an urgent indication of the need for radical change in mindsets of the global population, especially Indians. Here’s hoping this amendment acts as a benchmark for the kind of behaviour police personnel should hold themselves to across the entire country.
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