Living with Dignity : Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Based Human Rights Violations in Housing, Work, and Public Spaces in India

A. Shah, M. Gupta, S. Maheshwari

This report details human rights violations suffered by LGBTQ persons in their family homes, workplaces, and public spaces including streets, public toilets, public transport and shopping centres. It identifies a wide range of violations and abuses of rights in the context of housing, work and public spaces. Human rights violations associated with housing included discrimination in accessing rental accommodation, harassment and violence by landlords and by families, and arbitrary evictions. The report sets out instances of discrimination in the workplace, at all stages of employment, and throughout the formal and informal sectors. It also documents obstacles faced by LGBTQ persons seeking access to public spaces, including discriminatory policing, gendered toilets and transport, harassment and abuse by State officials, and discriminatory targeting through the application of public nuisance, sex work and anti-beggary laws. The report identifies legal and policy challenges, as well as structural barriers that prevent them from enjoying the full range of human rights. The report offers a set of recommendations meant to make existing law and policy more protective of LGBTQ persons' rights and calls for the amendment or repeal of certain existing laws.