Majority Of Transgender Persons In Sri Lanka Do Not Have National Identity Cards To Prove Their Gender-A Survey Result

There are around 8000 Transgender (Males converted  to females/Females converted to Males) persons in Sri Lanka at the moment according to a latest survey result.The majority of these Transgender Persons do not have Identity Cards to show their gender and are facing numerous difficulties when they are going to common places like banks for their work according to the Director of HIV And Advocacy Unit Of Sri Lanka Family Planning Association Ms.Madusha Disanayake.

Addressing a Media Seminar held today at the Sri Lanka Family Planning Association Headquarters in Colombo this morning On HIV And Sexual Orientation ,Ms.Disanayake has said that due to the discrimination these transgender persons are going through some of them are turned to Prostitutes as they have no chance of working in their working places freely.

The rights of these Transgender Persons should be ensured  and they should be allowed to live in the society as other human beings she has stressed.As countries like India and Pakistan have issued Identity Cards for Transgender Persons in their countries under the third gender category Sri Lanka too should taken steps to issue Identity Cards for these persons she has said.

These Transgender Persons who lives in Sri Lanka are vulnerable to getting HIV/AIDS due to their involvement in the Sex Trade Ms.Dissanayake has revealed.

Transgender is an Umbrella term for persons whose gender identity,gender expression or behavior does not conform o that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned  at birth.(From Google).