Corporate Pride in Hyderabad Shadowed by New Law
Hyderabad: As Pride Month comes to an end, so do the corporate programs, performances and public conversations that put gay and transgender lives on the city’s June calendar. But this year, all this developed in the shadow of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026. The law now affects medical care, employment, and participation in the same programs. While the courts examined its constitutional validity, its consequences also reached hospitals, company events, residences and documents required for treatment.
“The change is now law and we are already seeing its effects. Some doctors are hesitant to provide gender-affirming care because they fear it could be illegal. Anti-trans rhetoric reaches even the most basic level of healthcare,” said Patruni Chidananda Sastry, a Hyderabad-based gender fluid drag performer known as SAS and founder of DragVanti.
Patruni embedded this hesitation within broader public conversations, noting that influencers like Orry, while openly questioning gender-neutral restrooms, themselves adopted homosexual attitudes. But unease over trans issues has also spilled over into Hyderabad’s corporate Pride programs. “Companies have scaled back Pride programs this year. Even where they do hold events, some are limiting them to the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities and excluding transgender people from panels or demonstrations for fear of complaints from employees,” Patruni said.
Healthcare in Hyderabad presents a less uniform picture. Dr., a transgender doctor and paramedic at Osmania General Hospital. Prachi Rathod said the hospital’s transgender clinic continues to treat patients according to the law and valid medical guidelines. Dr. Rathod, disapprovingly, said, “The hospital performs surgeries and provides other treatments under the Act and applicable guidelines. The change will definitely have an impact. Doctors now strictly implement the Act and treat only people who meet the eligibility guidelines.”
Patients may now face a longer process involving psychological certifications and other documentation as healthcare providers also seek more documentation before providing gender-affirming care as they seek legal protection. Patruni also noted that the Mitr Clinic, which was previously closed due to the withdrawal of foreign aid from the United States, was reopened as the Sabrang Clinic but remained under financial constraints.
SAS said that years of work on trans identity certificates has entered a period of uncertainty. After the amendment became law, community groups began receiving inquiries and calls for help. Among those seeking answers to the problem were transgender people in rural areas; organizations and individuals had limited resources to respond. “People are panicking about what the future will look like,” Patruni said. “Pride Month is very celebratory, but trans issues are sometimes left out, even in queer spaces. The queer community needs to address this.”
Government employment provides a more tangible contrast in the state, as transgender traffic volunteers say their work is going smoothly. Dr Rathod also highlighted HYDRAA and traffic police-related jobs as examples of livelihood opportunities created by the Telangana government. He said the state should open these opportunities to more people. “The Telangana government has started providing livelihood and job opportunities to transgender people through Metro, HYDRAA and traffic police. The government should reduce the eligibility criteria and hire more people. Regular work can reduce dependence on begging and sex work and enable people to lead safer and healthier lives,” he said.
This more stable experience at work does not extend to every aspect of urban life, and housing remains one of the clearest examples. “Housing has always been an issue. Oftentimes, queer people house other queer people,” Patruni said.
Such arrangements partly explain what community means in Hyderabad, outside of formal Pride programs. Queer people often rely on each other when landlords refuse to give them a home, when families cannot provide support, or when a person needs a place to stay. The networks may remain small, but Patruni described them as where much of the city’s daily community life exists. “People talk about trees being cut down in KBR Park, but the park also has a strange history. There were times when people wandered there. When those areas disappear, part of the city’s gay history disappears,” SAS said.
This statement took Pride beyond the events held that month, connecting current community concerns to parts of Hyderabad that had meaning before companies started holding Pride panels or performances. Patruni concluded: “The younger generation is redefining society at the grassroots level. Six or seven people might be meeting, spending time together and supporting each other. These smaller select families are becoming an important form of care.”
