THANE: Two years after the Election Commission (EC) allowed the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) community to register themselves as 'others', the members will now be able to vote in the upcoming elections.

According to Anil Ghatane, joint chief electoral officer of the state unit of the EC, nearly 1,000 people have registered themselves as 'others' in Maharashtra. Of the 1,000 people, roughly 300 are from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The LGBT activists say is the most "invisibly visible and vulnerable community" as a separate group has been in the works for more than a decade

The LGBT members are happy with the EC's decision.

''We are satisfied that the EC has finally recognized us and given us a formal status in the voters' listOur society is opening up towards the transgender community and giving us our right. We have been fighting for this cause since the last 20 years,'' said Laxmi Tripathi , a Thane-based transgender rights' activist, who was the first to put forth such a demand.

Tripathi, who runs an organization called Astitva'' to spread awareness of the rights of LGBT community said that the government's move is still not enough. The number would have been more if the government were still not confused on how to transfer the names of those who have already registered as either male or female in the new category created in the form. The government should get a legal opinion and get a clarity on the issue soon,'' Tripathi added.

"I kept asking for the transgender status but the authorities kept sending me back for more documents to prove my gender. When they asked for a doctor's certificate I got worried because all my official proof identifies me as male, but I wanted to tick the box that said 'other'. Now I can and am going to hold on to my Identity card,'' said Shah, a transgender who requested not to be identified.

Thane City collector Vellarasu said that this is a major positive development from the EC. We expect more citizens to enroll under this category,'' he said.

