Coronavirus: LGBT community demands separate isloation wards

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], Mar 18 (ANI): Amid rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, the LGBT community in West Bengal feels left behind at a time when the state government is taking several steps to contain the pandemic. There should be separate isolation wards for suspected COVID-19 patients belonging to the LGBT community, they feel.

Bappaditya Mukherjee, a transgender who works with marginalised youth through his organisation Prantakatha in Kolkata, said that it would be "traumatising" for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients to stay in male or female isolation wards in the hospitals during their treatment for COVID-19.

"If any LGBT person happens to catch coronavirus infection, they will be forced to stay either in the male or female ward. At that time that person will be more traumatized when the other people kept in isolation ward discriminate against LGBT patient. In an isolation ward which actually is not meant for LGBT, they will be traumatised instead of being in a stable condition," Mukherjee told ANI.

Former Transgender Board member Ranjita Sinha said the community is facing a "dangerous situation". Sinha said, "I have written a letter to the central and state government over the matter of isolation wards for LGBT people."

"So far, the LGBT community has been neglected by society. The government should take initiatives for this community as LGBT also belong to this society and they too are human beings," Ranjita added.