LGBTQIA

Every year in the month of February, thousands of people gather and celebrate LGBT pride by rallying on the streets and hoping for society to accept them in every state of the India. The LGBT community faces a lot of problems. The main problem is acceptance from people outside the community. For the Indian LGBT community, a truly inclusive society remains a distant dream

In urban India, where social media and corporate initiatives have created increasing awareness of LGBT rights, the scenario looks more upbeat for gay men than for transgender people or lesbian women. While urban LGBT voices that are heard through several online and real-world platforms form an important part of LGBT activism, these expose only a small part of the diverse challenges faced by the community.

Problems faced by LGBTQ due to discrimination
  • Far away from gay pride parades, meet-ups and heated discussions on Twitter, families in rural India have their own ways of dealing with LGBT individuals.
  • In some parts, secret honour killings are planned so that the only way for a young gay man to survive is to run away in the cover of the night to some city, with no money or social support.
  • Hate crimes against LGBTQ individuals are still shockingly prevalent across the country.
  • Village medics and babas often prescribe rape to cure lesbians of homosexuality. Refusal to marry brings more physical abuse. Stories of family acceptance that one sees on TV and other media are more of an urban phenomenon.
  • A recent study found that one of the major factors that results in the stigmatization of LGBT people is parental reaction towards homosexuality. The study goes on to conclude that most LGBT people are acceptable to family only if they agree to behave like heterosexuals.
  • LGBTQ individuals were sent to psychiatric wards when they came out to their families.
  • Families that accept their identities put many restrictions in the way they choose to dress and interact with their partners.
  • In the absence of family support, online groups and social media have offered accessible alternatives to form a community outside of family. Platforms like Gaysi and Gaylaxy, and publishers like Queer Ink have helped carve out spaces for LGBT people to interact, share and collaborate.
Way forward
  • Though, theoretically, most educated citizens support alternative sexualities and gender identities, when it comes to day-to-day behaviour, there is an urgent need to change the ground reality.
  • Bridging the gap between academic knowledge and everyday experience means we need people to question stereotypes.
  • Say, for example, the rampant telling of homophobic jokes. We need people to pause and ask what’s so funny about such an oppressive take.
  • We need our allies to point out that such behaviour costs us our freedom and dignity. Creating a critical mass of such an aware group is an important part of activism.
  • Yogyakarta Principles, which recognise freedom of sexual orientation and gender identity as part of Human Rights should be adopted in true letter and spirit. They were outlined in 2006 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia by a distinguished group of International Human Right experts.

Once educational institutions become allies of LGBTQ, throughout the country, future generations will have a better chance of living up to the ideals of equality. Each time a school or college decides to participate in LGBT activism, we come closer to bridging the gap between reality and a truly inclusive society