The Movement for Sexuality and Sexual Pluralism on Thursday (July 25) alleged that nine gender minority candidates who cleared the written test for the post of police constable failed the physical tests due to a lack of training-coaching.
Speaking at a press conference here, Vaishali N Byali, Co-Chairperson of Movement for Gender and Sexual Pluralism, demanded that the Women and Child Development Department, the nodal department for gender minorities in Karnataka, should provide coaching to the gender minority candidates who failed. the police constable physical examination and give them an opportunity for appearing again in the examination.
Mallika K. of Kolar, who was one of the candidates who appeared for the tests, said, “During the physical test on July 8, 2024, in Kolar, I was made to run and do the long jump with cis-gender men. I underwent sex reassignment surgery two years ago. My body is not a male body. How can I compete with cis-gender men? Making me compete with cis-gender men is unfair and insulting to my gender identity. We should be allowed to appear for the exam again in the category of cis-gender women.”
Senior advocate BT Venkatesh said, “It is wrong to include transgender persons in the gender category for physical examination. This shows the failure of the police department to understand the transgender community. The government should immediately hold a dialogue with the gender minority community and formulate gender minority sensitive police recruitment policies.”
Manohar Elavarthi, a human rights activist, said in the last two years after the 1% job reservation was brought in, very few gender minorities have got government jobs, as many of them stopped their studies years ago and many have crossed the age limit for applying. “The Government of Karnataka should prove its commitment to the development of gender minorities by relaxing the age limit by at least five years and conducting special recruitment drives for gender minorities for government jobs,” he said.