Other users do not allow transpeople to use BBMP’s e-toilets. They have to either use the women’s washroom or wait for others to leave.
Public toilets in the city are still not accessible to the transgender community, even after years of demanding for toilets. They are asked to choose between the men’s or the women’s toilets.
Tabu, a transwoman said, “We don’t have any specific toilets, so at times we use the ladies washroom when there are no ladies inside. Many times we wait outside the washroom until it is vacant.”
Kajal, another transwoman said, “Once I went to the men’s washroom and was humiliated and asked to go out, since then I don’t use the washrooms outside.”
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) operates 803 toilets in the city out of which 360 are public toilets, 229 are e-toilets and the rest are either community toilets, restrooms for pourakarmikas or were built to avoid open defecation.
The BBMP in March 2020 said that e-toilets are gender neutral and can be used by any sexual minorities. However, transpeople are not aware that they can use the e-toilets.
According to a Supreme Court (SC) judgment, the third gender is declared as transgender community and they should be provided public toilets including in hospitals as well.
Saleem, an attendant of a public washroom in the Majestic area said, “These people (transgender) come and stand outside the toilet which sometimes makes the ladies uncomfortable, so I ask them to come later when the toilet is vacant.”
Ranjit Shetty, an NGO worker at Aaraike Charitable Trust said, “Even if the trans man or trans woman can use the e-toilets, they are not allowed to use and are harassed at times. This keeps on repeating because the BBMP doesn’t take any action.”
“They use women’s public washrooms only if they are vacant. This proves how the BBMP fails to provide basic facilities for the transgender community.”
Vikram Bhatt, an urban planner said, “The SC after declaring a third community as transgender, directed to build toilets in locations accessible to them.”
Places like Majestic, Mahatma Gandhi Road, KR Market, KR Puram, Cantonment, JP Nagar and other busy areas where the transpeople are seen in more numbers should have public toilets, he said.
