This statement is issued by the Trans Film Workers Network : a collective of trans and gender-diverse persons working across film and cinema in India : coming together in collective resistance to oppose the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026. At a time when trans rights must be strengthened, this Amendment seeks to roll them back. By undermining the right to self-identification, introducing exclusionary provisions, and enabling increased surveillance and control over our identities, it deepens gatekeeping and reinforces state authority over our lives. As trans persons within the film industry, we exist within an already exclusionary ecosystem : one where access to authorship, resources, and representation remains limited. This Bill further intensifies those conditions by legitimizing systems that question our identities, our work, and our presence. Through this statement, we are building a collective voice from within the film ecosystem : one that asserts our right to dignity, autonomy, and self-determination.
Signatures so far:
Trans* / NBs* / Gender non-conforming folx:
Gazal Dhaliwal, Zena Sagar, Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju,
Rayyan R. Shaikh, Anubhuti Banerjee, Mix M, Leo Paapam, Phelian, Dora, Malini Jeevarantham, Neha Vyaso, Varun, Rachita Sai Barak, Sai Mandlik, Rafiul Alom Rahman
Allies:
Neeraj Ghaywan, Kiran Rao, Aditi Anand, Mathivanan Rajendran Srushti Iyer, Lakshmi, Neha Vyaso, Harshita Sethia, Nikhita, Singh, Sarabhi Ravichandran, Unaiza Merchant, Isha Sharma, Akanksha Arya, Ishita Dasgupta, Nimisha Nair, Kashmira, Patil, Miriam Joseph, Malini Jeevarathnam, Chhitra Subramaniam, Taranjit Kaur, Varun, Janani, Vinata Nanda, Manind Bedi, Manisha Korde
For any queries or signing the statement : LINK IN THE BIO - for any enquiries reach out
@zena.sagar
Or Show your solidarity in comments & we will add you to the list.
Design by
@samyuways | additionally there is a typo in gender non-conforming, which we acknowledge.
