The Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission (SPC) has presented a draft policy to the state government, aiming to address the needs of the LGBTQIA+ communities. One of the notable proposals in the draft is the long-awaited horizontal reservation for transgender and intersex individuals.

The draft policy suggests the inclusion of trans and intersex individuals in the Chief Minister’s health insurance scheme. The SPC formulated the draft policy, and now an eleven-member committee, comprising diverse LGBTQIA+ representatives, has been formed by the state government to develop the final policy encompassing the entire LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

The draft recommends a 1% horizontal reservation for both communities in education and employment sectors.

Horizontal reservation implies a separate quota within existing reservation categories like Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and general categories for trans and intersex persons.

The draft proposes the establishment of the ‘Tamil Nadu Council for LGBTQIA+ Persons’ and ‘District Level LGBTQIA+ Welfare and Justice Committees.’ These entities will facilitate coordination between various government departments to address the issues faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals, with each committee comprising five representatives from the LGBTQIA+ communities.

The transgender community has been advocating for such policies for years, even before the NALSA judgment of 2014, which urged central and state governments to consider providing reservations for trans individuals.

While other states have specific policies for transgender individuals, Tamil Nadu aims to create a comprehensive policy that recognizes the unique challenges faced by gender and sexual minorities, with a particular focus on trans and intersex communities. Existing policies for transgender communities will not be affected; instead, the new policy aims to encompass all LGBTQIA+ individuals, focusing on their safety and empowerment.

In 2021, Karnataka became the first and only state in India to implement 1% horizontal reservation for trans people in civil services employment. Now, with the recent developments in Tamil Nadu, the state seems poised to follow suit and take steps towards greater inclusivity and equality for the LGBTQIA+ communities.