Pride Month 2019: India and gay rights

The declaration of Section 377 as unconstitutional last year brought immense joy and happiness among the LGBTQ communities of India. In this Pride Month of 2019, the question is still: Are 'they' accepted in our society? Well, the answer still remains vague.

Even though mental health professionals consider homosexuality as a normal variation of human sexuality, society still fails to accept them and as a result, people of these communities strive to survive in this predominantly heterosexual world.

Criminalising the 'relationship'

There are approximately 4.8 million transgender people in India.

Going back to history, we can see that homosexuality was never illegal in our country nor it was perceived as a criminal offence in ancient Indian culture. It was criminalised by the British during their atrocious rule in India.

Several progressive and liberal countries have already decriminalised same-sex relation and sexual orientation, many countries have legally recognised same-sex civil partnerships and other related rights.

But in India, reports of abuse, violence, harassment against LGBTQ people are quite common. In Bangalore, a hijra was gang-raped by the police in 2003; In 2007, a gay man was abducted for sexual pleasure by the police and was raped for several days before finally being forced to sign a "confession" saying "I am a Gandu [a derogatory term, meaning one who has anal sex].

According to reports from activist group Kavi's Humsafar Trust, two-fifths of homosexuals in the country have faced blackmail after the 2013 Supreme Court ruling. Blackmail and humiliation leading to suicide attempts are common. Early in 2018, a lesbian couple committed suicide and left a note saying: "We have left this world to live with each other. The world did not allow us to stay together."

Another sickening method to make one 'normal' is to perform conversion therapy on the individual which includes electroconvulsive therapy, hypnosis and administering nausea-inducing drugs. Talk therapy is another ridiculous therapy in which the individual is told that homosexuality is caused by 'an uncaring father and an overbearing mother'. Individuals going through this kind of torment often suffer from depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies. These pressures often force them to resort to drug abuse as well.

What is the future?

How much leniency towards these communities can we expect from the ruling government?

Once, after the elimination of Section 377, the ideological front of the ruling BJP stated: "Same-sex marriages are not compatible with norms of nature, so we don’t support them. Bharatiya society doesn’t have the tradition of recognising such relations". This further raises questions about the future of the LGBTQ community in India.

In a noteworthy manner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is known to be quite active on Twitter, remained silent after the quashing of Section 377 and this silence was duly noted by the community.

The time has come to be more tolerant of this diversity and the need to focus on people's humanity instead of their sexuality. It's time for the Indian Government to understand that 19th-century law has no relevance in today's world. Therefore, we should rectify the mistake, help by giving them all rights and by granting same-sex marriage rights.

Popular morality should not be dictating constitutional rights. Time has come to ensure equal rights and embrace diversity.

Gay men and lesbians are human beings and they have the same needs and desires as heterosexuals. God or any superpower has got nothing to do with it. It should be up to individuals to decide if he or she wants to follow what their religion says or whether the individuals prefer to remain as homosexuals.

Furthermore, the Indian Government is already facing both domestic and international pressures. In a nation where neoliberalism is on the rise, the 'homosexual question' cannot be avoided for a long time and it should recognise both sovereignty and sexuality together.

The right approach to deal with same-sex marriages is still oblivious. Here, one needs to observe that society criminalising same-sex relationships is not the ideal situation. The fact is it helps nobody, least of all the LGBTQ people.