Mumbai: As much as the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, is a bolt out of the blue for self-identified transgender, gender-fluid and non-binary individuals, in many cases the hit is also being felt by the parents, who have held the hands of their children as they transitioned. It’s a community of mostly senior citizens who have rallied opinion and mobilised resources through a support group to create a more inclusive environment.“At first, a lot of unlearning had to be done,” said Shilpi Rastogi, a mother who has been supporting her transgender kid’s journey for the past 12 years. Then, during Covid lockdown, Rastogi came across the parent support group called “Sweekar: The Rainbow Parent”, where, according to Rastogi, “We are connected with parents of queer children of all age groups.” The group’s oldest member is Vidya, 80, who is also one of its founders. She says her sensitisation began in the 90’s, when she got to know that her son was queer.Sridhar Rangayan, filmmaker and co-founder of “Sweekar”, said the idea of a support group stemmed from a screening of his film “Evening Shadows” at the KASHISH Pride Film Festival in 2017. “As part of the outreach campaign, we wanted to reach out to parents of LGBTQ+ children to ensure that they are aware of how to accept their child, and we gave away 10% of the crowdfunded money for the film to start this support group,” said Rangayan. According to Sweekar’s human resource manager, Aruna Desai, the group now has around 600 members. “At the start, we had parents of kids over 25 years, but now, there has been a shift. Parents of children who are as young as eight have joined.”Among the earliest members was transgender rights activist Harish Iyer’s mother, Padma. Since 2010, she has been actively engaging in queer sensitisation dialogues. According to Padma, “Sweekar is a group by the parents, for the parents… There are some things you’d want to discuss with other parents and not your kid.” But now with a bill that makes scrutiny and certification for gender mandatory and takes away the person’s right to self-identification, parents are worried for their children’s safety and future. Vibha Krishnamurthy, 59, says her daughter came out as a transwoman when she was 20 and in college. “She had been experiencing gender dysphoria, and she came out seven years ago. But now, just by virtue of her identity, she is vulnerable. That is scary and regressive.” Krishnamurthy came across “Sweekar” around three years ago through a social media platform and has depended on it for support. “It has been a time of great uncertainty and turmoil. For parents whose kids are still transitioning, it is terrifying to think of what the future holds. The big question is, will they get gender-affirming treatment? What if the endocrinologist stops hormone medication? There is so much ambiguity in how the amendment is worded,” says Krishnamurthy. As the parents seek answers to such questions, Dr Sanjay Sharma, CEO and managing director of the Association for Transgender Health in India (ATHI), seeks to provide a legal basis to their fight. He said, “The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-11 (ICD-11) has put out a definition for gender that includes new changes that reflect the ‘modern understanding of sexual health and gender identity’. Dr Sharma says, “Anybody who has gender incongruence and has a desire to transition can, as the WHO states that gender-affirming care is the human right of a person.” Dr Sharma questions the justification of the medical board mentioned in the amendment. Dr Sharma urges the govt to implement a “National Programme for Transgender Healthcare” to set a uniform system in place for both carers as well as queer individuals to ensure that care won’t stop for self-identified transgender individuals.
