Gender-neutral restrooms and online appearance slips: Supreme Court ushers in landmark LGBTQIA+ initiatives

Ushering in landmark initiatives for the inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has approved gender-neutral restrooms and online appearance slips at the Supreme Court..Nine universal, gender-neutral restrooms will be constructed at different locations in the main building as well as the additional building complex of the Supreme Court. .The online Advocates Appearance Portal, launched by the apex court in December last year, has also been made gender-neutral..A proposal to rename the Gender Sensitization and Internal Complaints Committee to the Gender and Sexuality Sensitization and Internal Complaints Committee with a view to broadening its scope, is also under active consideration.Senior Advocate Dr Menaka Guruswamy has been added as a member of the Committee, so as to ensure representation from the queer community..A press release to this effect states that these initiatives are aimed at sensitization towards and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ community to ensure a dignified work environment for them at the apex court..The move comes after queer, non-binary lawyer Rohin Bhatt wrote to Justice Hima Kohli, who is the Chairperson of the Supreme Court Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee, requesting infrastructural inclusivity in the Supreme Court.Bhatt had requested for gender-neutral bathrooms on every floor of the Supreme Court, wherever there are mens and womens bathrooms..Lawyer writes to Supreme Court for gender-neutral bathrooms, LGBTQIA+ representation on Gender Sensitisation Committee.In November last year, Bhatt had written to CJI Chandrachud requesting a modification in Supreme Court appearance slips so as to include an additional column where lawyers' pronouns can be added.