For the first time, India’s capital Delhi now has 27 certified trans-friendly schools.

Local transgender rights NGO worked with the directorate of education (DoE) to list school with trans friendly practices.

These include having separate toilet facilities for gender non-conforming children and including transgender issues on the curriculum.

The pilot Purple Board list includes 25 government-run schools.

The NGO, Society for People’s Awareness Care and Empowerment (SPACE), began workshops with schools in October last year.

SPACE’s Anjan Joshi told the Indian Express NGO leaders had received no resistance from students.

He said one of the most beneficial activities was an ‘anonymous box’ session in which kids could ask whatever they liked about transgender people.

‘Many children came out as trans in their anonymous messages’ Joshi told the newspaper. He said at least one child in every school came out as trans during the sessions.

Indian Express also reports that most of the now-accredited school principals did not know what transgender meant before the training started.

How trans-friendly is India?

India recognized transgender as a third gender in a landmark ruling in 2014.

But, transgender people remain marginalized and at risk of abuse. Ninety percent of trans Indian’s face harassment, according to a recent survey.

This week, local media reported India’s ruling party would edit a controversial Transgender Rights Bill currently in parliament.

Local trans rights activists have described the bill as a ‘great travesty of justice’. The bill fails to address critical issues such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, they say.

In the recent general elections, transgender voters were allowed to cast their ballots as a third gender for the first time

A handful of trans and intersex candidates also ran for office. Sneha Kale made headlines as the first-ever trans woman to run in the general election.

India’s first Miss Trans Queen aslo joined one of the country’s largest political parties.

Trans gurus also made history earlier this year by leading a religious procession.

Violence continues, however. One trans politician running for office in Hyderabad went missing during her election campaign.

Earlier this year, a man decapitated a trans priestess in her temple.

See also

Amid backlash from trans community, India alters contentious bill

Trans teen in India dies by suicide following ‘financial constraints’

Sell-out crowd for India’s first LGBTI job fair