Homodebate

In our society, the very mention of the three lettered s word tends to awaken a latent prudishness and double standards. Be it the issue of legitimising prostitution, premarital sex or the issue in hand, i.e. homosexuality.

I feel, like prostitution, even homosexuality is something that has been around - legal or not - since time immemorial, so it doesn’t really make a difference to those who practise it. The socio perspective of this issue certainly can't be ruled out altogether because the Indian population is yet to obtain the sexual maturity, or the tolerance to respond positively to such concepts. Therefore, I doubt if legalising homosexuality would do those people any good who keep their sexual inclinations a secret fearing social damnation or ridicule.

Coming to the humane aspect of the issue, I feel homosexuality should be legalised because every human being has the right to seek his/her means of sexual pleasures as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone and is consensual and safe. - Ravissant Markenday


What is the big deal about homosexuality anyway? I would say the debate is more about personal freedom, rather than sexual orientation. One's sexual preference is an extremely personal matter, and no one has the right to interfere in that. Not even our esteemed law.

To cut to the chase, anything goes as long as it's personal. We should have laws against homosexuality the day it starts infringing upon other's freedom, same as anything else, from jaywalking to dating.

The real question is, how long will we continue to be a nation of nosy control freaks that we are? Especially when the rest of the world is also moving towards the Orwellian ideal of control over every aspect of our lives, from whether we can hold our girlfriends' hands to our sexual preference. Considering a law against homosexuality.. may be we should also have laws about the positions we prefer in bed! - Anonymous

I think India needs to go a long way before it actually accepts homosexuality. We are still living with a Victorian mindset and Victorian laws. Still struggling to break the chains of patriarchy, for most people I know, homosexuality is still not "normal", rather it is taboo. Even in our students’ groups it’s used as an abuse when we call someone "gay" or "lesbian". I think everyone should have the liberty to choose, and we as responsible citizens should have respect for every one’s choice. - Deepshikha Chakravarti

Mankind can live comfortably till we do not disturb nature. Homosexuality is definitely against nature. Even if the higher courts are willing to review the laws pertaining to it, the change should be to make it a punishable crime.

Just like the fact that the more we disturb nature, more we are bound to be troubled, so it is with homosexuality. The more we move in favour of it, the more would be the problems for our society.

Felling trees is destroying the weather, converting coal into gases in the industries is polluting our atmosphere, making products out of synthetic substances is going against nature. The list is endless. Why can’t we be with the nature? Why can't we ban homosexuality if at all it has come under review now? - Nikhlesh Mathur

Do we need another piece of legislation which will have little relevance to the progress of our nation?

Arguing in favour of legalising homosexuality is another form of pandering to a group, which is alien in the Indian context.

This is not to suggest that homosexuals do not deserve their rights. It is time that the gay movement came to terms with itself and its place in Indian society. We are a nation which still expects women to serve at home, believes in dowry and is as conservative as can be. To expect this society to do an about turn is foolish and wishful thinking.

The argument for legalising homosexuality is premature and far too western in concept. We should get real about these issues because we are a real country, facing real problems.

Legitimacy for homosexuality will arrive with the arrival of evolved minds. It will not emerge out of some court judgement. We should see things in terms of what it could do to a society, rather than what seems to be right, and sometimes, fashionable as well. - Praveen Ranjan

Homosexuality, according to me, is an individual’s decision. An individual who is an adult is free to take his/her decision about his/her sexual life. And if we unnecessarily interfere in their private lives, it should be made punishable. Who has given us the right to discuss with whom an individual should mate? If so, it is a breach of the freedom of life. As our constitution gives us the freedom to speech, worship etc, similarly we should accept homosexuality without any hesitation and any poll. - Rakesh Singh


l assume that even today, people in India have been unable to accept the idea of homosexuality, but the fact remains that it is a reality (I personally know some people) and worse still, the more we are trying to turn away from this fact, the more fatal this tendency is becoming among the youth of the country.

Today, no-doubt the biggest threat to our country becoming a super-power by 2025-2030 is the dreaded HIV/AIDS which is literally sabotaging the youth power of the nation. The time has come when we openly talk about not only sex related issues, but also the so-far hidden and less talked about issue of homosexuality.
There is enough evidence now that it is a major contributing factor to deadly diseases and STDs.

The solution I suggest is we should leave the people with their choice and not enforce any laws, rather, generate awareness about the problem it can cause and leave the rest for the people to decide.

Let’s accept people the way they are even if we think it is a totally absurd thought, and shift our focus towards a broader perspective i.e. to become a super-power superceding every other nation by a long way. - Gaurav Singh



It can be said undisputedly that homosexuality in India is less talked about and an even lesser discussed social phenomenon. The ‘credit’ for this situation goes more to the social stigma attached to it, rather than the absence of legal sanction.

Many countries of the world including Canada, Holland, Spain, U.S.A. and even South Africa have passed laws for safeguarding the rights of gays and lesbians.
In India too, voices have been raised to provide legal sanction to homosexuality. But one thing should be kept in mind, that such changes in the statute would fall slack if they are not accompanied with changes in the attitude of the civil society.

The roots of such attitudinal changes lie imbedded in the interpretation and representation of homosexuality in ancient India as it was an integral part of society at that time. Ancient texts like the Rigveda which dates back to around 1500 B.C. and sculptures and vestiges depict sexual acts between women.

Looking for popular consensus in favor of homosexuality in a country like India where the society is filled with prejudices will only marginalize the minority group of homosexuals. Those who oppose legal recognition to homosexuality and say that it is blindfolded westernization; they need a thorough insight in the history of homosexuality in Indian culture. Thus making it evident that legalization of homosexuality is not an alien phenomenon, but an evidence of a maturing democratic society.- Shelly Tara


We live in the world's largest democracy which grants us the right to enjoy all are rights including the right to autonomy. In my opinion, it is very ironical to live in a country which grants you the right to live your life your way, but also has laws guarding against gay marriages. A homosexual is not a different species, rather a person who has different preferences.- Chitra Kapur


Homosexuality is as much a part of human nature as heterosexuality and the very moment these natures are described as normal or abnormal, we question our own existence. Indian society has changed a lot, but even in the twenty first century people are not ready to accept homosexuals.

As a first step towards making people accept homosexuals, it is important to first correct the laws which are biased. Because at the end of the day, we cannot change the fact that we share a common ground i.e. of human existence, and sooner or later we Indians have to break down the wall of discrimination between homosexuals and heterosexuals.- Rashi Arora


I feel that homosexuality, or for that matter anybody's sexual preference is their own private domain. Why should the government or anybody else decide what a person's sexual habits should be? But that doesn’t mean that I support child abuse. I believe if sex is consensual, it’s fine what a male and male or a female and another female do. After all, no one questioned Vatsyayana when he wrote the Kamasutra or the sanctity of Khajuraho temples.

It’s a debate that needs to be addressed quickly.- Stuti Roy


I don't find anything wrong in being HOMOSEXUAL. Sexual preferences are a personal and a very individualistic concern, so how does it make any difference to others?

I believe that the growing homosexuality in India is just another sign of the changing human psyche. As a result of stress, workload, changing lifestyles, globalisation etc. people are finding newer and more exciting ways to please themselves. So there is absolutely no problem, as long as it doesn't harm anybody. It’s the basic right to freedom, and we cannot stop anybody from exercising that.

Ever since Indian society has opened itself to western influences, these changes are obvious and inevitable.- Ragini Taneja


I read in a magazine under the readers' response section that a man felt that homosexuality is an aberration and that just because something is a new concept it isn't necessarily good. This is just one example of the closetted view people have towards homosexuality, even more so because this man had a Doctorate.

Homosexuality is definitely as old as the hills of heterosexuality and has been celebrated through eons, most of all in India. I have been told that there is evidence to prove that homosexuality exists even in the rest of the animal kingdom, for whom I am sure it isn't just fashionable.

The homosexuals I have the privilege of knowing are among the brightest, most intelligent, most cultured of human beings, which is more than I can say about many heterosexuals. I welcome the judiciary's extremely honourable effort towards reviewing this redundant and audaciously offensive Penal Code Article 377. I feel that so long as repressive tendencies walk among us, mankind will never be able to live up to it's own name.- Sumit Ray


In this democracy one has the right to exercise one’s freedom of choice, when this choice does no harm to the surroundings or society at large. How on earth could one categorize homosexuality as abnormal without realizing the issue at hand?

The media can really be an important medium to create awareness among the masses instead of harping on negligible issues such as regressive family dramas. We need to be enlightened about this biological and social phenomenon which is very much normal.
-Sabiha Farhat

Homosexuality should be illegal in India. The Indian culture does not say that you have the freedom to do anything which can deteriorate your culture. Ok, western fashion is ‘in’, but it does not mean that we should cross the limit. I support western culture but it should be bound by the Indian culture.

In India, homosexuality will decrease the interaction between men and women from my point of view. It will allow youngsters to lose his/her virginity even when one is under age. We should think about the future. The family in India, which is a group of men and women will decrease exponentially. I exhort to make homosexuality ILLEGAL.- Manoj Kumar


The very thought of homosexuality is disgusting and it is hard to accept people around us with an unusual sexual orientation. But this is my own individual perspective which cannot be imposed in a democratic country like India. Considering that people with homosexual orientation are perfectly normal in every other respect, I am forced to believe that they do deserve equal rights in the society. On the lighter side, as we have a population crisis here, we can use some homosexuality in India! - Chandan Khanna


Homosexuality laws should be clearly defined and should be punishable as homosexuality is against the nature's and God's laws. Those who are stuck in this habit should be given special psychological treatment and social support to get help them get rid of this problem.- Gaurav Chadha


God did not create a creature to love only its opposite-sex being. Putting barricades to love is not fair at all.- A. Jag


In India it’s always the same case where everyone wants to raise his\her voice against anything related to sex. Whether it is sex education or AIDS awareness, India suffers because of the taboo surrounding such issues. Same is the case with homosexuality.- Rohit Arora


The debate about homosexuality laws couldn’t get any simpler, considering that India is calling itself the next biggest global stop for all countries, it’s high time it reviewed certain policies and laws. And yes, many conservative groups would disagree with a liberal policy around homosexuality. But a simple question in response to this would be, WHY NOT?

Is it threatening for a culture like ours to accept certain personal sexual preferences of the youth, or to expand and allow people to think out of the box and experience something different? Is it unfair to allow groups of people who choose to have an "unconventional" sexual preference, the same freedom or space as allowed to those who have chosen the traditional form of sexuality? No one is sitting on judgement on either party. But why not give the space to all citizens - like the freedom of speech etc - the freedom of sexual preference too?- Anandini Dar

The Law Against Homosexuality

Do you believe the law making homosexuality illegal in India needs to be done away with? Participate in this national debate by sending your views to editor@tcp.in