LGBT rights in Tamil Nadu
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Tamil Nadu are the most progressive among all states of India. Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to introduce a transgender welfare policy, wherein transgender individuals can access free gender affirmation surgery in government hospitals and various other benefits and rights. The state was also the first to ban forced sex-selective surgeries on intersex infants, and also the first state to include an amendment in its state police guidelines that expects officers to abstain from harassing the LGBTQIA+ community and its members. The state also became the first to ban conversion therapy as well as the first to introduce LGBTQIA+ issues in school curricula.
LGBT rights in Tamil Nadu | |
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Tamil Nadu | |
| Status | Legal since 2018 |
| Gender identity | Third gender recognised; transgender people may change legal gender |
| Discrimination protections | Discrimination protections in line with Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India and National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | Transgender women can marry under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 |
| Adoption | No |
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| Lesbian ∙ Gay ∙ Bisexual ∙ Transgender |
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Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2018, following the Supreme Court ruling in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India. Tamil Nadu is noted as one of the most open states with regards to the LGBT community, particularly transgender people. Nevertheless, reports of discrimination, arranged opposite-sex marriages, bullying, suicides, and family rejections are common. According to an estimate from 2015, about 16,380 people in Tamil Nadu identified themselves as LGBT.