Transgender activist Rajan Singh seeks separate public toilets

Rajan Singh, Delhi’s first-ever transgender person who contested the recent Lok Sabha elections, staged a protest outside the district magistrate’s office in Saket on Thursday, demanding separate public toilet facilities for the transgender community.

Singh (26), along with other members of the community, led a foot march from Sangam Vihar to the District Magistrate’s office in South Delhi.

Carrying a toilet seat to draw attention to their demands, Singh highlighted that the authorities have not addressed the issue.

“It is our fundamental right provided by the Constitution of India, yet we are still being denied this facility.”

Singh emphasised that the Indian Parliament had granted several rights to the transgender community through The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

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“The government has failed to build toilets for our community, while access to schools, hospitals, and universities remains a distant dream for us. Transgender toilets are a basic need for our community and the broader LGBTQIA+ community,” Singh said.

“Our protest is our voice against anti-transgender beliefs,” added Singh, who currently serves as the Chairman of the National Transgender Welfare Council.

“(The) District collector assured me of positive action in 10 days,” wrote Singh on Facebook.

India’s first celebrity transgender fashion choreographer and actor, Sams Williams, also joined the protest.

Singh, who contested as an independent candidate from the South Delhi constituency in this year’s Lok Sabha elections, has been advocating for other issues faced by the community, such as separate seating arrangements in metros and buses, reservations in the health and education sectors, and identity recognition.

Singh has been a vocal advocate for establishing a national transgender commission.

Notably, during the Lok Sabha election in April, Singh approached the Delhi High Court for police protection during the campaign, citing a life-threatening attack. The court granted Singh’s plea.