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A group of six anonymous students from Hindu College have started a Straight Pride Collective. The page that has surfaced on instagram, is constantly making use of homophobic and right wing inclined hate speeches which includes false claims and misinformation. Read to find out more about it. 

With the changing times, a tone set in to bring about a modification in the place we all call home, more welcoming hands have been stretched to those who have been neglected by the perils of history. The community of LGBTQIA+ has often found itself under the sheets of neglect and unwarranted, unwelcomed chains of threats which has brought a great deal of distress to this part of our society. The growing concerns, the space to feel lost and aloof, and the lack of recognition and acknowledgement had made it quintessential to start a “collective”.

In educational spaces, the unavailability of safe and secure environments for students resonating with this community harnessed the notion to start a collective, a place where they can feel safe to be themselves.  While, a notion of change and progress has been set in by them in mainstream society, there is a group of people who are creating “hindrance” to this growth. 

 

Not long ago, a social media page was created by the name of “hcstraightpride”, which stands for Hindu College Straight Pride, on instagram. Since its inception, the account has been heavily indulged in homophophic, right wing oriented hate speech. One of the captions of their posts read “when the society loses its way, men like us have to stand up and fix it. We are men of violence, men of honour, and that of respect. We won’t stop until we take back what was snatched from us.” The noticeable thing about this is that the entire account talks about a perspective which believes in the “sin of homosexuality” and how are straight men oppressed of their freedom of speech. Additionally, it is embracing the ideologies aligned with the right wing and scrutinising what is believed to be a part of “radical left” according to this page.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdBbJk0KXOW/

 

In conversation with a student of Hindu College, Lovansh told DU Beat about the need to create a safe space for the community. He stated that the Hindu College Queer Collective aims at creating such a safe space and asserted that the existence of the same is a protest against the status quo. He claims that what makes the college susceptible to such attacks is the fact that queer culture in specific and student culture is general at Hindu attempts of speaking to power and therefore such an attack is an attack to the culture of Hindu College itself. 

 

This then should concern not just the queers and allies but the entirety of Hindu College and people who wish to preserve this culture. I hope people come ahead in solidarity for this long standing protest of creating a safe space which we rightfully deserve and shall fight for.

-Lovansh Katiyar, student, Hindu College 

 

Furthermore, a stunt was pulled off by the page to gain attention. The page made claims to have been invited by TedxHindu College to deliver a speech. To add on to these false claims, they posted a statement of solidarity from the department of Sociology of Hindu College. However, both the platform and the department took to their instagram to issue a statement in regards to the rejection of claims made by the page in question. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDB8aEB0eW/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDmenLjJBe/

 

Within the last 24 hours, the page posted what they termed as a “big reveal”. They asserted to have made false claims in order to gain attention which according to them worked. They set a trap for these platforms and they walked straight into it, as the page claims.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDuSF4JmgE/

 

Besides this, the page in question posted an article on homosexuality and autism. They affirmed that homosexuality and autism are correlated as, according to them, the IQ levels of both autistic people and homosexuals lie in the same range. As the page believes, autism is an inability to perform basic tasks, communicate properly, and make use of logical reasoning which is further supported by low IQ, they have tuned in homosexuals along with the subject by stating their attraction to gliterry objects and low IQ. In the comments section, people are calling out the actions of the page by disagreeing to such accusations and calling them “ableist” and “homophobic”.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdEKBGzvrdg/

 

Meanwhile, as we celebrate the spirit of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, the page decided to change its username into “international_straight pride”. They took the step to go international in light of the support and reach they garnered from the page. To add onto the day of festivities, or rather suppressing the spirit by believing that homosexuality is a sin. According to them, one would be invalidating their duas made during ramadan if they continue to support “people of lut” or homosexuals. 

 

Additionally, it made claims that the religious text- Manusmriti does not sustain the notions of misogyny and has been misinterpreted by ‘Tankies’, ‘socialists’, and ‘liberals’. 

 

 

In conversation with the president of Students’ Federation of India Hindu College, Aditi, told DU Beat about their stand on this subject. According to her, SFI condones any sort of queerphobic tendencies in or out of the College campus. In her words, she reflected their unconditional support to the Hindu College Queer Collective

 

It is imperative we note that the views shared by this dreadful page are the views of Right Wing’s regressive and reactionary ideology which has always raked up such issues to set their agenda of disturbing the atmosphere in academic institutions. 

SFI shares deep rage and contempt towards those involved in these anti-student and anti-social activities.

-Aditi, President, SFI Hindu

 

With various students pouring in their disbelief and astonishment at the collective’s posts in their comments sections, students continue to condemn the actions of the collective in actions. 

 

Read Also: Queerphobic “Straight Pride” Collective Emerges in Hindu College

 

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

 

Ankita Baidya

[email protected]

In response to Pride celebrations, a reactionary movement has sprung up to “reclaim” space for the black and white of heterosexuality amid rainbow hues.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,
Queer+ (LGBTQ+) community has
only recently garnered widespread
acceptance with the advent of increased
representation, favourable leaps in
legislative matters, and a heightening
of social awareness, which were
achieved after arduous struggles by the
marginalised community. The concept
of Pride in queer context implies the
promotion of self-affirmation, equality,
and dignity within individuals with a non-
binary sexual identity, a remembrance of
the bigotry (still) faced by the community,
and a celebration of the strides made.
Pride events like parades, festivals,
marches, and formation of queer
collective aim to normalise homosexuality
in the face of the tyrannising
heteronormative binary. Pride is also
quite a revolutionary concept that has
emboldened a community to embrace
their identity, which, earlier they had
to veil with a monochromatic shroud.
The conspicuous and colourful nature of
these celebrations reflects the collective
coming-out of the long-closeted
community into the mainstream.
Most Pride events happen annually
during June, which has been instated
as “Pride Month” to commemorate the
New York Stonewall Inn Riots of 1969 –
the first robust act of resistance against
a repressive administration. This year
witnessed the 50th anniversary of this
pivotal moment of the gay liberation
movement. Queer representation hit
the peak of main(lame)-stream with the
release of Taylor Swift’s kind of excessive,
kind of stereotypical, yet allegedly well-
intended “gay” music video, You Need to
Calm Down.
In India, on 6th September, the first anniversary of the scrapping of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalised homosexual intercourse, was celebrated with great fervour across the University of Delhi (DU) in various institutions. Kamala Nehru College, in collaboration with Nazariya, a queer, feminist resource group, organised a Pride event in their college. Lady Shri Ram College observed a hearty affair as well, with a queer-themed open mic, and a Pride party, followed by a Pride march organised by the college’s Women’s Development Cell. Throughout the North and the South Campus, a galore of Pride celebrations with a multitude of Pride flags, representing the multitudinous sexuality spectrum were fluttering through, strewn across streets, sewn into outfits, and painted on faces.
However, the ostensible nature of these celebrations, going in full-swing irked the likes of a few. A reactionary movement to reclaim the allegedly tarnished pride of heterosexuals, given the increased homosexual social movement, sprang up. Boston, and Massachusetts observed a Straight Pride Parade on 31st August. The organisers, who hold ties with the extreme-right movement in America, justified the event by accusing the identity politics of the left and calling for greater representation for straight people.

An elementary school in Mumbai, which goes by the name of Sanskriti School, joined in on the fad and insisted upon a Straight Pride Parade. An Instagram handle was made to perpetuate the novel idea but it can no longer be found on Instagram, reportedly owing to the negative feedback it received from the community on Instagram.
The Straight Pride Movement is not an idea in its nascence, and can be traced back to the 1980s, but something is to be said about its fledgling popularity. Even though both the aforementioned efforts were dwarfed by counter-protesters, they still gained traction and were valid enough for a few to latch on to it. This reveals the fragility of a small group of heterosexuals who feel insecure and attacked by the growing acceptance of a long-ostracised community.
Pride is a resistive, cultural movement with a lot of history, gravitas, and significance for the LGBTQ+ community, which is being undermined by such reactionary, shallow ventures. It is rightly said, “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”

Feature Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat

Prisha Saxena
[email protected]