Health, Law, and Dignity: A Human Rights Analysis of Healthcare access for LGBTQ+ Persons and Sex Workers in India

Description

Page: 1869-1874

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17839240

Ananya Gupta¹ and Jaswant Singh² (Firststep IB World School, Chandigarh¹ and Department of Psychology, Panjab University, Chandigarh²)

This article critically examines the healthcare barriers faced by LGBTQ+ and sex workers in India. It is observed that there exists a significant gap between constitutionally guaranteed rights and their implementations. Several weakness of the Article 14,15, and 21 are discussed along with major Supreme court cases that have contributed in the changes in laws. The healthcare barriers include the laws which criminalize parts of sex work and rules that discriminate against transgender people. Also a great detail on how different marginal and vulnerable communities such as LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, transgender and minor sex groups that belong to more than one vulnerable communities suffer to access equal rights. It also highlights community-led projects like the Sonagachi Project, Kerala’s queer-inclusive healthcare, and Ashodaya Samithi as examples that have contributed to make lives of these vulnerable communities easier by empowering them. Finally the article suggests wide-ranging changes to end criminal penalties for consensual adult sex work, allowing gender recognition through self-declaration, making medical education LGBTQ+ inclusive, creating strong complaint system etc. The article argues that these marginalized groups are equally eligible to fair healthcare system and this is not and extra or optional issue, but a core part of India’s promise of dignity and justice for all.