Trans-woman stopped from donating blood in Kolkata
Kolkata (IANS) | In an unprecedented development, a transgender woman was stopped by a state government health worker from donating blood at a camp on grounds of gender identity.
Over objections by the secretary of the organization organizing the camp and a prominent queer-rights activist, the health worker concerned agreed to allow the trans-woman to donate blood.
But his approval came with strange explanations of transgender persons’ sexual orientation and why it was medically risky to allow them to donate blood.
Speaking to IANS, city-based well-known transgender rights activist and popular speech expert Anurag Maitreyi, who raised the voice of protest after the concerned trans-woman was stopped from donating blood, said the event took place at a blood donation camp in the city . On 6 August, a purported incident was organized by the NGO Manusher Pashe Thakar Angikar (Promise to Stand).
He said, “I was the guest speaker on the occasion. While the process of blood donation was going on, it was suddenly brought to our notice that the health worker of the concerned state government stopped a trans-woman from donating blood on the basis of gender identity. The plea of the concerned health worker said that medical guidelines do not allow blood donation to transgender persons, who are often on hormonal treatment.
“I and NGO secretary Biswajit Saha immediately intervened and sought a copy of the specific guideline that bars transgender persons from donating blood. But he could not produce it.
Maitreyi said, after much argument, the health workers finally had to allow transgender persons to donate blood. But his approval was met with several strange comments on the sexual orientation of transgender persons.
Saha said the development was most unfortunate as before the start of the blood donation camp, he had sensitized the health workers about the transgender participants in the camp.
Another transgender activist and former member of the West Bengal Transgender Development Board, Aparna Banerjee told IANS that it is most unfortunate that despite the anti-discrimination orders of the Supreme Court of India, government officials are not acting with sensitivity. “We have already sent a representation to the state government in this matter,” Banerjee said.
Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) general secretary Ranjit Sur told IANS that it is a serious case of human rights violation where a person is prevented from performing social duties on the basis of his/her gender-identity. “When such discriminatory action is taken on the part of a public servant who is engaged in the vital sector of healthcare, the matter becomes even more serious,” he added.
