g_b Column for eunuchs in passport form

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Column for eunuchs in passport form    By: Shibu Thomas    March 9, 2005 The Indian government has finally recognised the third sex, officially! Henceforth, when you apply for a new passport or renew your old one, in the category `sex', you have a choice of three genders. The new "Passport Information Booklet" relating to instructions for filling up application forms, states, "In case of Male/ Female option, please write M or F in the box space provided. For eunuch, please write `E' in this box." "It is a big step," said Gauri Sawant, of Sakhi Char Chowghee, which works with hijras. "Travelling will become easier and a passport holds the key to many other facilities." "It is an incredible step and long overdue," said Ashok Row Kavi, founder of Humsafar, a  city-based gay organisation. Humsafar also works with hijras and transgender people. "Earlier, hijras had to list their sex as male and dress as a male whenever they went out of the country. They now don't have to carry the baggage of dishonesty." Another reprieve is for those who have undergone male to female or vice versa surgeries  known as Gender Reassignment Surgery. The Ministry of External Affairs has made a provision for persons to change the sex in their passports if they submit a sworn affidavit and a medical certificate from the hospital where the person has undergone treatment. The form to be filled up is titled "Form No. 2" [Application for Miscellaneous Services on Indian passports]. Film and television actress Bobby Darling who has started hormone treatment for her surgery is excited about the rule. "I will definitely apply for changing my sex in the passport from male to female. This will ensure that nobody is there to pinpoint, embarrass or humiliate you unlike now.There will be no trace that I was born male." Human rights activists, too, have welcomed the move. "Sexuality today is no longer  restricted to male and female," said Vivek Diwan, of Lawyers Collective. "Earlier, when hijras applied for a passport, their applications would be rejected on grounds that they were neither male nor female. This is a step in the right direction."   www.gaybombay.info   Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== NEW CLASSIFIEDS SECTION SEEKING FRIENDS? VISIT www.gaybombay.info click on classified section and type your message in the post section once the link opens This message was posted to the gay_bombay Yahoo! Group. Responses to messages (by clicking "Reply") will also be posted on the eGroup and sent to all members. If you'd like to respond privately to the author of any message then please compose and send a new email message to the author's email address. For Parties and events go to: http://calendar.yahoo.com/YYY,04497/srt,0/gaybombaygroup/?v=42&POS= Post:-  gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com Subscribe:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Digest Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] No Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Individual Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Contact Us:-  [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives are at http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay%40yahoogroups.com/maillist.html Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay/   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.