Indian corporations are receiving grants from the U.S. Department of State if they comply with sensitivity training to promote trans inclusiveness. Nearly $50,000 of taxpayer money is being given to an organization called YR Gaitonde Medical, Educational and Research Foundation, according to reporting from The Daily Wire.
The description for the grant is specified as, “TO SENSITIZE EMPLOYEES OF CORPORATE ENTITIES IN HYDERABAD AND CHENNAI TOWARD TRANSGENDER PERSONS IN THEIR WORKFORCE, ADOPT INCLUSIVE POLICIES, AND CREATE A SAFE AND NURTURING WORK ENVIRONMENT.”
The objective listed by the department reads, “To support the achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advance national interests, and enhance national security by informing and influencing foreign publics and by expanding and strengthening the relationship between the people and government of the United States and citizens of the rest of the world.
Another “Grant Opportunity” from August 2022 titled, “Countering Stigma and Prejudice Against the Transgender Community,” sought to award up Indian companies with up to $50,000 if they comply with policies that “foster a more inclusive environment.” One expectation is that workshops would have to be organized by corporations in Hyderabad and Chennai to help employees become more sensitive to the transgender community.
“In the medium term, a concrete objective will be to have the participating corporations make changes to current policies, demonstrate the activities they have executed to foster a more inclusive work environment, and develop active transgender employee recruitment plans,” the description states.
The State Department is also pledging to promote inclusive policies in both Nepal and Kyrgyzstan.
The news comes after the U.S. Consulate General Kolkata reportedly assisted in setting up India’s first transgender medical clinic in 2020. Another was established in 2021. The U.S. Consulate General Chennai has also hosted and promoted pride events, including one called, “Recognizing Pride in American Literature.”
India’s Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that “transgender” is to be legally recognized as a third gender and deemed discrimination against trans people as illegal. Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan reportedly said that recognizing trans people as a third gender is neither a “social or medical issue but a human rights issue.”
