Transgenders and sexual minorities of Hassan have appealed to the district administration for a housing facility in Hassan city. Many among the community have been staying in public places, facing security risks, due to lack of proper shelter, they claim.
Prakruti Samudaya Seva Samsthe, an organisation working for the LGBT community, has submitted several requests to the district administration seeking a housing facility.
A transgender woman, sleeping on a footpath in the heart of Hassan, was raped and murdered on August 24, 2020. The brutal act was captured on CCTV cameras installed in a shop nearby. Police have not been able to trace the culprit.
In another case, a transgender woman, who was residing in a market at Salagame in Hassan taluk, was found dead a few months ago.
C. Ashwath, a member of the organisation, told The Hindu, “We have lost two members of the community in recent months. The government should consider our demand for shelter under housing schemes,” he said.
The organisation has estimated that there were around 750 LGBT community people in the district. “In some districts like Tumakuru, Dakshina Kannada and Shivamogga, sites have been allotted to the LGBT community. We want a similar facility here as well. Requests have been submitted several times. The Deputy Commissioner has assured us of a meeting to discuss this issue next week,” he said.