A sensitisation workshop for lawyers on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (lGBT) issues was organised in Dehradun by Mumbai based community organisation- The Humsafar Trust in collaboration with the APIC and Dehradun bar association.
The workshop organised by the organisation saw discussion on the various aspects of sexuality, different terms of lGBT community and violence and harassment faced by members of the community due to section 377. According to the workshop organisers, the training was attended by 20 lawyers of Dehradun bar association.
The Humsafar Trust is implementing regional programmes in 29 states of India to address the impact of, and vulnerability to HIV of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender populations in the region. One of the key focus areas of the workshop was to enhance access to social justice through awareness and capacity development of government (executive, legislative and judiciary) as well as of civil society organisations.
“The region is made up of different systems of political, economic and historical backgrounds. These diverse institutional and socio-political contexts results in different levels of development and implementation of human rights. Hence this is our first step to create healthy and sensitive environment so that an lGBT person can raise his/her concerns” said Tinesh Chopade, assistant programme manager of The Humsafar Trust.
Madhvi Osta from APIC said, “It is extremely important for us to work in smaller regions, because there are community members in towns with extreme fear. We hope that these efforts to sensitise would help them to raise their voice with the judiciary without fear and this will
also support us to win the battle of Section 377 in Supreme Court.”
According to the workshop organisers, the main objective of this training programme was to reduce and address issue of stigma, discrimination based on sexuality or sexual identity and to make lawyers and judiciary system aware issues and health problems of MSMs and transgender persons and also set up stage for interaction related to lGBT issues with judicial members