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Voting is also a gender-sensitive issue, LGBTQIA+ community concerns indicate
View(s):Pix and text by Suranga Rajanayaka
For Sri Lanka’s LGBTQIA+ community, casting their votes at elections is a distressing exercise as the identity documents they will be carrying to the polling booths misstate their gender identity, activists say.
They say the Department for Registration of Persons issues national identity cards only for two sexes—male and female—and efforts by persons with LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and the +) identities to find a solution are faced with legal issues.
Gayaan Senewiratne
According to the country’s law, every citizen must have the National Identity Card that, among other details, reveals their gender identity. The production of the NIC is a basic requirement while voting.
Navoda Bennett Ratnayake, who represents the community, said she lives with an identity that is not binary. In other words, she does not exclusively identify as male or female.
“When obtaining NICs, only male and female options are available. There is no ‘other’ option. Therefore, I have no choice but to select male or female for my identity card,” she said. “This has become a significant issue for the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Explaining the problems the community faces, social justice activist Gayaan Senewiratne said, “This is a significant distress for them. Therefore, we suggest creating a procedure to provide permanent identity cards for individuals with various identities. Otherwise, not only will they face difficulties during elections, but they will also be marginalised.”
Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake said the Election Commission has the mandate only to intervene in election-related matters under the election law.
“We cannot address social ideologies; these matters should be addressed through changes in the education system, religious environment, and social structures of the country. The Election Commission cannot take direct responsibility over this matter,” he said.
However, he assured the EC had taken into consideration the difficulties the community members could face at polling booths and taken steps to address them.
Navoda Bennett Ratnayake
He also said voters who do not possess a valid identity document, a temporary document can be obtained from the Grama Niladhari.
Polls monitoring group PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarchchi said the LGBTIQA+ community were also citizens of the country and “have the same rights as other citizens.”
He said they should be allowed to vote without obstruction. He added that during the electoral process, there should be no hindrance to determining their gender category.
Mr. Hettiarachchi said PAFFREL submitted a set of proposals to the Election Commission for a short-term solution on the matter after considering the proposals of the persons representing the community.
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