Are we ready for gay rights?
On 3 July, India made a 'tryst with destiny.' Delhi High Court passed a judgment which was long overdue of decriminalizing gay sex. On this day, many whiffed real modernization and felt triumphant. Post independence, we were able to modernize ourselves in terms of giant industries, dams and roads. And in 1991 we did welcome liberalization and globalization, which flooded Indian markets with luxurious goods. Along with that, we did import new ideas of development and prosperity. But we still remain, very much encompassed with conservative and orthodox views giving rise to self employed moral police. Myriad examples of female infanticide, dowry, and bride burning, assaulting girls in pubs which made us questioned, does modernity imply bedecking ourselves with latest international brands and gizmos? Or does modernity entails change in our mental outlook also, embracing different sections of our society? And time and again judiciary has reiterated its stand as the custodian of the latter.
It has reaffirmed that we as a society stand as an inclusive nation where everybody irrespective of its sex, caste, class, religion is granted equality in treatment. We as a nation, stand against discrimination of any hue. It has stressed its morals stance that we as a nation should not be concerned with what is happening in private life of others. We need to grant right to dignity as part of right to livelihood.
It has emphasized its stance of a laissez faire state. The judgment has reflected the attitude of being modern by taking up an issue of sex in a country like India. But there is a long drawn battle ahead. Society is another de facto court which prosecutes a person for what it thinks is anti-social. And with ilk of Baba Ramdev, this judgment becomes a mere piece of paper ready to be stacked up in dusty cupboards. Even after 65years of independence we have still not been able to eliminate age old vice of untouchability. And caste factor is not just confine to our backward rural areas, but it is very much prevalent in metropolitan cities like Delhi where caste plays a vital role in matrimonial alliances. Homosexuality has just seen the dawn of day. It has a long way to go.
Need of the hour is for society to accept homosexuality. We as educated individuals need to become much more respectable and dignified towards homosexuals. And need to understand that it is part of 'normal' sexual orientation. Homosexuality has been on display in Khajuraho temples in ancient India. It's unfortunate that, the more we are moving ahead in terms of modernity more we are becoming intolerant towards other people's preferences.
Media needs to play a very significant role in bringing them into mainstream. Offenders who discriminate homosexuals like debarring them of a rented house, or a job or even passing stray comments on them need to be treated stringently. Most importantly, we need to even stop referring them as LGBT community which itself smacks of some 'minority' or some 'diseased' community and keep them excluded from mainstream. Do we refer to ourselves as a 'heterosexual' community? Then, why this dichotomy for them? These steps will surely aid in accepting homosexuality a part of normal sexual orientation.
By
Mithila Bagai
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