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India Slow In Accepting Homosexuality
Posted by: Bridgette P. LaVictoire on July 27, 2010. 07/27/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Balaji Ravichandran has written a fascinating article regarding attitudes towards homosexuality in India for the Guardian. So far, in the year since India decriminalized homosexuality, things have been very slow to actually change with regards to society. Mr Ravichandran wrote this particular article in response to a BBC piece in which the BBC seems to portray a much more positive pace of change in India.
“It’s been a year since India decriminalised homosexuality. Well, at least for now. Because pending in the supreme court is a petition, challenging last year’s decriminalisation, that was lodged and supported by various religious groups across the country – for some reason, homosexuality has the power to unite Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and even yoga teachers.”
According to Ravichandran, the BBC pointed to the fact that some clubs in New Delhi are hosting gay nights twice a week; however, as he points out, none of the patrons actually wanted to be filmed. He also goes on to point that while “police interference has, in terms of anecdotal evidence, come down, reports of hate crimes have increased.” He points out that “a respected professor at an Islamic university was secretly filmed having gay sex; within a week he was suspended, and then found dead at his apartment. His partner, reportedly hounded by the police, attempted self-immolation.”
Societal change is coming slower in many nations than the legal changes with regards to homosexuality. The decriminalization of homosexuality in the United States was proceeded by years of growing positive portrayals of homosexuality, and the same goes for the United Kingdom. By the time Lawrence v. Texas was handed down, films such as Jeffery and shows like Ellen had already tackled the issue of homosexuality. The same cannot be said in India where the media still censors the word ‘gay’, though it should be pointed out that, until fairly recently, many companies struggled with obscenity filters which would censor the word “lesbian.”
What Ravichandran wrote is worth a good read, and it can be found here.
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You are here: Home » Commentary » India Slow In Accepting Homosexuality
India Slow In Accepting Homosexuality
07/27/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Balaji Ravichandran has written a fascinating article regarding attitudes towards homosexuality in India for the Guardian. So far, in the year since India decriminalized homosexuality, things have been very slow to actually change with regards to society. Mr Ravichandran wrote this particular article in response to a BBC piece in which the BBC seems to portray a much more positive pace of change in India.
“It’s been a year since India decriminalised homosexuality. Well, at least for now. Because pending in the supreme court is a petition, challenging last year’s decriminalisation, that was lodged and supported by various religious groups across the country – for some reason, homosexuality has the power to unite Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and even yoga teachers.”
According to Ravichandran, the BBC pointed to the fact that some clubs in New Delhi are hosting gay nights twice a week; however, as he points out, none of the patrons actually wanted to be filmed. He also goes on to point that while “police interference has, in terms of anecdotal evidence, come down, reports of hate crimes have increased.” He points out that “a respected professor at an Islamic university was secretly filmed having gay sex; within a week he was suspended, and then found dead at his apartment. His partner, reportedly hounded by the police, attempted self-immolation.”
Societal change is coming slower in many nations than the legal changes with regards to homosexuality. The decriminalization of homosexuality in the United States was proceeded by years of growing positive portrayals of homosexuality, and the same goes for the United Kingdom. By the time Lawrence v. Texas was handed down, films such as Jeffery and shows like Ellen had already tackled the issue of homosexuality. The same cannot be said in India where the media still censors the word ‘gay’, though it should be pointed out that, until fairly recently, many companies struggled with obscenity filters which would censor the word “lesbian.”
What Ravichandran wrote is worth a good read, and it can be found here.
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