Legal Recognition versus Lived Reality of Transgender Communities: With Special Reference to Kolkata and Lucknow

Abstract: This research explores the socio-economic background and quality-of-life issues among transgender individuals in Kolkata and Lucknow. Based on survey data gathered from 300 participants (150 from each city). To compare demographic, educational, and occupational profiles; income; housing and homelessness experiences; workplace satisfaction; and satisfaction with living conditions, we used statistical techniques such as the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and binary logistic regression. The two samples selected from the cities have similar demographics (age, education, and income) but different occupation profiles. Housing and homelessness problems were more prevalent among people in Kolkata. Still, a considerable portion of respondents from Lucknow opted not to answer this question, which may indicate underreporting. Employment satisfaction did not vary between the two cities, but the response distribution differed. Living condition satisfaction differed only slightly between the two cities. Employment satisfaction and living condition satisfaction are not related. This implies that employment satisfaction and living condition satisfaction represent different aspects of quality of life. Logistic regression revealed that occupation and city both mattered in housing problems. People in informal occupations face the highest risk of these problems. The study highlights the continuing socio-economic inequalities experienced by transgender individuals and shows that employment security and housing remain important areas for policy attention.