CPI(M) Demands Legal Recognition and Equal Rights for LGBTQI+ Community at 24th Party Congress

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Published on Apr 05, 2025, 07:17 PM | 3 min read

Madurai: In a significant political statement, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has adopted a resolution at its 24th Party Congress reaffirming its solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community and calling for urgent legislative and policy reforms to ensure their equal rights and dignity.
The resolution strongly criticized the BJP-led Modi government’s approach to LGBTQI+ issues, describing it as regressive, tokenistic, and inconsistent. Despite the historic 2018 Supreme Court judgment decriminalizing same-sex relations, CPI(M) pointed out that same-sex couples in India still lack legal recognition, including the right to civil unions, property inheritance, insurance benefits, adoption, and custodial rights.
The Party accused the current government of pandering to right-wing sentiments by refusing to amend discriminatory laws, thus continuing to deny the LGBTQI+ community basic rights and protections. The resolution observed that transgender persons, in particular, remain one of the most marginalized and vulnerable sections of society.
The CPI(M) also condemned the government’s inaction on implementing the 2014 NALSA judgment, which recognized transgender individuals’ right to self-identify and mandated horizontal reservations in education and employment. It noted with concern that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2020, introduced by the Modi government, still does not guarantee these critical provisions.
Access to healthcare remains another key concern. The Party flagged the barriers transgender individuals face in accessing treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, due to bureaucratic red tape, social stigma, and institutional insensitivity. Despite the existence of Garima Grehs — government-supported shelter homes for transgender individuals — the CPI(M) noted that only 18 such homes exist nationwide, housing just 414 persons out of an estimated five lakh transgender individuals, as per the 2011 census.
“These shelter homes, which are managed by NGOs, have been plagued by inexplicable delays in funding,” the resolution stated, underscoring the government’s “callous approach” to the welfare of the transgender community.
The CPI(M) also drew attention to broader patterns of exclusion in education, employment, and healthcare that LGBTQI+ persons continue to face, arguing that systemic neglect has further entrenched their marginalization.
In light of these challenges, the 24th Party Congress of CPI(M) made the following key demands:
● Amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2020 in line with the Supreme Court's NALSA judgment, ensuring horizontal reservations and addressing other concerns.