<p>Mohnish Malhotra, who has been long involved in the fight for gay rights and is one of the organisers of the annual gay pride, said the minister's comments were shocking.<br /><br />"It's shocking that such a comment was made by the country's health minister," Malhotra told IANS. <br /><br />"Even the UN passed a resolution saying that the LGBT community has equal rights as anyone else and cannot be discriminated on the basis of their sexual orientation," he added.<br /><br />On Monday at a conference on HIV/AIDS, Azad said: "The disease of MSM is unnatural and not good for India. We are not able to identify where it is happening as it is less reported also." <br /><br />"It is a challenge because in cases of female sex workers we can identify the community and reach out to them. But in case of MSM, it is becoming difficult," he added.<br /><br />He also pointing to increased efforts to promote condoms, treat sexually transmitted diseases, and launch information and communication programmes among transgenders and sex workers.<br /><br />Strongly disagreeing with the minister's comment, Ashok Row Kavi from Hamsafar Trust said: "Gay sex is not unnatural. It is a matter of one's sexual orientation. If out of 100 children, five are left-handed, do you call them unnatural?". <br /><br />Amrita Sharma, an activist, said the health minister should limit himself to talking about health issues instead of commenting on a person's sexuality.<br /><br />"Homosexual sex is just as natural as heterosexual sex. In a democracy, gays should have the same rights as heterosexuals...Most sex workers use condoms. The problem arises when men have sex outside of marriage without protection," she added.</p>
<p>Mohnish Malhotra, who has been long involved in the fight for gay rights and is one of the organisers of the annual gay pride, said the minister's comments were shocking.<br /><br />"It's shocking that such a comment was made by the country's health minister," Malhotra told IANS. <br /><br />"Even the UN passed a resolution saying that the LGBT community has equal rights as anyone else and cannot be discriminated on the basis of their sexual orientation," he added.<br /><br />On Monday at a conference on HIV/AIDS, Azad said: "The disease of MSM is unnatural and not good for India. We are not able to identify where it is happening as it is less reported also." <br /><br />"It is a challenge because in cases of female sex workers we can identify the community and reach out to them. But in case of MSM, it is becoming difficult," he added.<br /><br />He also pointing to increased efforts to promote condoms, treat sexually transmitted diseases, and launch information and communication programmes among transgenders and sex workers.<br /><br />Strongly disagreeing with the minister's comment, Ashok Row Kavi from Hamsafar Trust said: "Gay sex is not unnatural. It is a matter of one's sexual orientation. If out of 100 children, five are left-handed, do you call them unnatural?". <br /><br />Amrita Sharma, an activist, said the health minister should limit himself to talking about health issues instead of commenting on a person's sexuality.<br /><br />"Homosexual sex is just as natural as heterosexual sex. In a democracy, gays should have the same rights as heterosexuals...Most sex workers use condoms. The problem arises when men have sex outside of marriage without protection," she added.</p>