The Department of Veterans Affairs began including gender identifiers in its national medical record system in December 2021 to help VA providers better understand and meet the health care needs of Veterans.
VA added transgender male, transgender female, non-binary, other or does not wish to disclose options to its new gender identity field, according to the January 12, 2022 Press Release.
Providing this option demonstrates the agency’s commitment to delivering care fitting the individual needs of Veterans enrolled in VA health care, including transgender and gender-diverse Veterans.
“Our goal is to align the department’s policies and procedures with the president’s vision for a more inclusive government,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “All Veterans, all people, have a basic right to be identified as they define themselves. This is essential for their general well-being and overall health. Knowing the gender identity of transgender and gender diverse Veterans helps us better serve them.”
According to the complaint the women were forced to leave their underwear at the police station
Four transgender women were ordered by Tripura police to remove their clothes Saturday night while they recorded their apprehension on social media. After they were stripped and humiliated they were forced to sign a statement that if they 'cross dressed' again they would be arrested.
This happened on Saturday night when the four women were on their way back from a party organized at a hotel in the capital city of Tripura when they were stopped by police and taken to custody, Hindustan Times reports
“While we were coming back from a DJ party in a hotel at around 11 pm on January 8, a few police personnel and a man who claimed to be a reporter stopped us. We were taken to West Agartala Women Police Station where we were asked to strip in presence of both male and female police in the night. They even taunted about our dress code and character, “ said Mohini, one of the transgender women. She added that they were accused of extorting people with fake gender identity.
The transgender women claimed that their source of income through make-up art has suffered loss since a few videos of their harassment became viral on social media.
However, some of these videos were deleted from social media after they sought intervention of the Agartala Press Club.
They also alleged that the police made them sit on the floor and did not get them food even after telling the police that they were hungry.
“We demand justice for ourselves and action against the police personnel and the reporter who were in the police station on the incident night, “ she said.
Sneha Gupta Roy, an LGBTQ+ rights activist and a transgender person, said, “Their life at home and in their localities are stigmatized after videos of their harassment went viral on social media. This has also caused pain to our community both psychologically and emotionally.“
“It’s all about struggle for identity. Whatever happened is violation of human rights. We will fight legally to get them justice, “ said Nilanjana Roy, counsel of the distressed transgender persons.
Later, on Monday evening, they filed a complaint at West Agartala Police Station.
An official from Tripura police, on the condition of anonymity, said that they were arrested under Section 51 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) having provisions of preventive arrest.
“I have heard they were held under Section 51 of IPC and we have asked for a report to ascertain on what grounds they were arrested,” said the official, adding that they can seek intervention of either the Human Rights Commission or Police Accountability Commission if they have faced harassment.
