India top court recognises transgenders as 'third gender'
New Delhi (AFP) - India's highest court on Tuesday recognised the existence of a third gender that is neither male nor female, in a landmark judgement hailed by transgender people.
"Recognition of transgenders as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue," Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan told the Supreme Court while handing down the ruling.
The court directed state and federal governments to identify transgenders as a neutral third gender who should be granted access to the same welfare schemes as other minority groups in India.
"Transgenders are citizens of this country and are entitled to education and all other rights," said Radhakrishnan who headed a two-judge bench on the case.
The case was filed in 2012 by a group of petitioners including prominent eunuch and activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi seeking equal rights for the transgender population under the law.
Tripathi hailed the judgement, saying transgenders have long suffered from discrimination and ignorance in the traditionally conservative country.
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