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Delhi University community comes together against #Sec377

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On Friday, 9th January, the DU Queer Collective organised a non-violent protest against the upholding of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code outside the Faculty of Arts at the University Campus.  Demands ranged from putting a stop to the increasing number of security and police personnel on campus, to the onslaught of gender studies programmes and graduate and undergraduate levels, especially with the coming of the FYUP. The protest also aimed to voice united concern on issues of discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexuality that exists at various levels of the university.

Section 377, that deems consensual sex between two adults of the same gender as unconstitutional was reinforced and gay sex was criminalised on 11th December, 2013.

Some brilliantly nuanced arguments were made by eminent speakers like Nivedita Menon, Kavita Krishnan and Apoorv Anand as the small, but spirited gathering cheered them on.

Image Credit: Pallab Deb for DU Beat

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DUB Speak

When Imran Khan answers ‘desi’ homophobic queries

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Those unfounded concerns of homophobes around the country, who suddenly were facing growing discussions on Queer Rights after the SC judgement, finally have an answer. Known for their quirky sense of humour, All India Bakchod (AIB) came out with a new video featuring Imran Khan. Loaded with wit, the video answers concerns ranging from Indian culture to how gays drink coffee. Yes, the very same AIB that had previously made rounds around social media with bangs of sarcasm to advocate the reasons why women get raped.

Bani adds: One major element of the video is the message stated clearly at the end – ignorance is a choice. A choice many Indians make everyday – a choice our highest judicial body made some time back.

The recent Supreme Court judgement turned millions of Indians into criminals, something which took the Queer rights movement in the country 377 years backwards. Amongst all the heartbreaks and outrage, social media also teemed with an unprecedented number of non-queer allies voicing their disgust at their compatriots being stripped of their dignity.

When in 2009, the landmark Delhi High Court judgement gave the non-straight part of the population the legal protection to love who they wanted to love, the halls of social media were still not ringing with as much support from those who did not directly benefit from the ruling. But this time round, tragedy did what triumph of reasoning and Human Rights could not do and the queer community gained more visible and vocal support from its straight allies. This video is not the only example. A married, heterosexual man started the Gay For A Day campaign, which even though was criticised by a few commentators, showed just how much support the queer rights movement has garnered throughout the years. Another example of how much has changed was the number of politicians coming out in opposing to the upholding of Article 377.

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Bazinga

Bazinga: Emerging dilemma as SC stands for ‘equality’

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If there is one institution that people see as something that is truly beyond reproach and has the integrity to do what is right, it is the Supreme Court. The hallowed chambers of this court are a place where the right to equality is truly sacrosanct. In light of the media spectacle surrounding the verdict on Section 377 and the condemnation of the entire world that accused the Supreme Court of being out of date, the court decided to answer its critics. The SC has decided to do away with standards of reasonable doubt and remove conventional defenses such as self defense and the insanity plea. In the spirit of equality however it has decided to impose these on everyone equally. The court believes that this move ensures that nobody can now claim that the moves of the court were illegal or against the notion of equality.

1)      The ‘it is not natural’ defence

The idea that anything or anyone unnatural go scot-free is something that the courts are not okay with. Hence they have decided to crack down on all those who defy natural and stray from the natural order. Under this, all individuals with hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, breast implants and artificial joints can now be prosecuted. This is a bold move that ensures that individuals do what is natural and avoid any sort of deviant behaviour.

2)      The ‘it is against our culture’ defence

The SC believes that we must hold our culture on the highest possible pedestal and the law must take the backseat. With the cultural fabric of this nation withering away and the youth getting drawn to the ways of the west, the courts decided to take a stand. So people can now be held criminally liable for listening English music, going to modern hospitals rather than babas who practice ayurveda, not wearing ghoonghat or putting sindoor and commiting any other act that is not compatible with Indian culture.

3)      The ‘Baba Ramdev said it’ plea

This in essence is the replacement for the ‘Insanity Plea’. It’s not just limited to Baba Ramdev, rather all Yoga teachers turned moral experts turned political activist preachings are admissible in a court of law as evidence.  In accordance with this all schools shall no longer be teaching sex education, rather Yoga education is going to be the way forward. As per this law everything any baba says is true and sacrosanct and forms the fabric of our otherwise immoral society. As a result of this plea, Asaram Bapu and his son have just been released from jail. Also the system of community service has now been removed and all homosexuals can go to Baba Ramdev who claims to have found the cure for this deviant behaviour.

4)      The ‘religion’ appeal

The SC believes in equality and upholds the idea of secularism. In keeping with this spirit the SC decided to bring back the ancient religious laws. The first step was a historic one and ensures that all atheists are now criminals that can be imprisoned for life. All views that defy religion like abortion, use of condoms, committing one of the seven sins and many other such views are now regarded as illicit and criminal views that go against the state. Also the punishment for these acts will be decided by religious leaders and not the SC , so sharia law, crucifixion, sati are now all fair play.

5)      The ‘it is a disease’ defence

Many opponents of the LGBT community felt that not being straight is a disease and hence it should be criminalized. So in keeping with the court’s strong belief in equality it has decided to criminalize all people that are sick. Basically all individuals that are disabled or terminally ill can now be sent to jail.

These moves by the courts will surely make a statement. The SC also felt that people are actually getting more offended by the tag of being called a Criminal. They feel that many great leaders are criminals in this country and they continue to live their life normally. So why is the LGBT community getting so offended by the criminal tag. It’s time that they take inspiration from the many criminals of this nation like Salman Khan and live life to the fullest because all men are equal in the eyes of the law, even criminals.

Editor’s note: Bazinga is DU Beat’s fake news column. This piece is supposed to be a satire and is not aimed at offending supporters of the LGBT community. If in case you are not a supporter,  it was surely written to offend you.

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DUB Speak

If Sexuality Were Celebrated

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If sexuality were celebrated, and people were free to choose their partners from whichever sex – gender roles would diminish. The concern over who will make the sandwiches and who will earn the bread would be nobody’s business. If sexuality was celebrated, comprehensive sexuality education would be the norm – children would be given the space to discover who they really are and teachers would be comfortable using words like ‘masturbation’ in biology classes.

If sexuality were celebrated, same sex couples would be choosing to marry (or not marry) on their own terms and families and friends would love them for it. If sexuality were celebrated, government forms wouldn’t ask us to choose between ‘male’ and ‘female’. If sexuality is celebrated, more and more famous people would speak about their own. If sexuality is celebrated, section 377 wouldn’t exist.

If sexuality were celebrated, marital rape would be punishable and recognized in a court of law. A woman wouldn’t be the property of her husband. Heck, she may never have a husband! If sexuality were celebrated, self proclaimed God men who see homosexuality as a disease would be hiding their faces and publicly apologizing to all of us. If sexuality were celebrated, honour killings wouldn’t happen – marriage would be a personal choice which we would all be free to take as and when we wish. If sexuality were celebrated, the Supreme Court of India would first look into the several pending cases of sexual assault and discrimination (many of which are against Judges, lawyers, police and government officials) before even thinking of attending to an appeal as regressive as de-legalizing ‘gay sex’.

prideparade
If sexuality were celebrated, one’s homosexuality wouldn’t be one’s primary identity – a ‘gay’ doctor, a ‘gay’ lawyer, a ‘gay’ artist would simply be a doctor, a lawyer, an artist. If sexuality were celebrated, many of us wouldn’t be criminals in our own country today. If sexuality were celebrated, desire and passion would be good things, and people wouldn’t be made alien to their own bodies. If sexuality were celebrated, the word ‘gay’ wouldn’t be used as an insult, or to refer to effeminate behaviour by men (as if being feminine is an insult in itself!)

But then again, sexuality is more tabooed than celebrated and we still live entrenched in a patriarchy that separates us from ourselves and where every desire is colonized and repressed. Not only does the Indian state today control our food, water and electricity, but who we’re having sex with and what ‘legal sex’ is. Sex today isn’t simply seen in terms of pleasure – an activity between two consenting adults, but an activity strictly limited to a man and a woman (preferably married), belong to the same religion, caste and class. Anything – absolutely anything – disrupting this is against the law. When I see it this way, the Supreme Court ruling that read own the Delhi High Court judgement that decriminalized homosexuality doesn’t come as much of a shocker.

But the fight for free love and free sexuality continues. Even in dire disappointment, this is an opportunity to press for progressive laws and subsequently, progressive mindsets. This is our opportunity. Don’t lose hope. Keep your faith, continue your fight.

Image credits: Pallab Deb

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Why Homosexuality in India is Still A Taboo

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World renowned Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev claims to have a “cure” for the “disease” called “homosexuality”. He has discovered some asanas or body postures that can make the diseased person “normal” again.

It is sometimes hard for me to believe that I’m living in the 21st century. That, in the century that is characterized by technological advancements, globalization and liberal thinking, most people still prefer to reside in the stone age and refuse to come out of their shell, or den, in this case.

Homosexuality is said to be a condition of body and mind, wherein one is attracted to members of the same sex. It is as natural and normal as the transformation of a caterpillar to a fluttering butterfly. But the majority of narrow minds in the Indian Diaspora make it very difficult to establish homosexuality as an accepted form of existence. The problem lies in the Indian family ethos. Advertisements on AIDS and condoms on TV are hurriedly changed, met with awkward silences and glowering eyes of parents. Thus open talking about homosexuality of the child is unthinkable. The child finds it very hard to put forth his points, confide in his parents in such a discouraging atmosphere. In rare cases, when people muster up courage and openly declare their homosexuality, they are met with vivid expressions of horror, disbelief, in -acceptance, guilt and shame (in the same order). The fear of stigmatization is a constant reminder of the pitfalls that may follow. This is a major reason why most families choose not to support their children and force them into marriages and seek all sorts of “treatments”, not caring about wants of the child, thus pushing him/her into an abysm of despair.

Another problematic area is workplace. Homosexuals are more often than not ridiculed at, discriminated against, paid less compared to their counterparts and are never incorporated into the wider social group. Gay couples and marriages are laughed off as unnatural and they are subjected to worldly prejudices, escalating to discrimination. In fact, in many serials, Gay mannerisms are introduced to add the necessary spice and humor.

But, as they say, change is inevitable, and slowly but surely, people are changing their attitude towards this topic. Landmark legislation was the reading down of section 377 of the IPC that criminalized homosexual activities, and now the Indian legal system recognizes gay affiliations. Gay parades now feature annually Delhi Calendar. They have played and continued to play a major role in emancipation of the LGBT community and in spreading ethical awareness about the very same. Several organizations, like the NAZ FOUNDATION, have vehemently supported this cause and have subsequently made admirable efforts to improve the current, prevailing situation. And thus, comes back my realization, that I live in the 21st century and not the Stone Age.

A society is judged by the people who live in it. We all must broaden our horizons, break away from age old myths and embrace a more progressive and happier tomorrow.

Image credits: Firstpost 

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