Latest news with #Section377
The Hindu
2 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
The need to normalise queer in the classroom
I wear a mask. Not like the crime-fighting vigilante Batman but like a self-conscious child at a fancy dress competition, trying to fit in. The mask becomes stark in June, Pride Month, which also marks the beginning of the school academic year. Over weekends, I plunge into community mobilisation and conversations on sexuality. On weekdays, I find myself fumbling when an adolescent girl student remarks, 'I am attracted to my friend who is also a girl.' Around 10% of India's population belongs to the LGBTQ+ community. It has been seven years since Section 377 was read down, decriminalising homosexuality. Yet conversations around gender and sexuality remain absent — or worse, are actively silenced — in schools. While students experience binary collapse at an early age, many teachers remain in denial. In Karnataka, for example, one teacher argued that girls must be protected from salingakama a derogatory Kannada word for homosexuality. Such attitudes reflect not only ignorance but also harm, perpetuating shame and silence around queer existence. Heteronormativity is embedded in folk pedagogies, leading to its normalisation within the school environment, making sexuality a taboo topic. Adolescence is a formative phase where identity-building begins. While there are many popular songs that celebrate teen crushes as a mark of growing up, doesn't the queer teenager deserve the same innocent joy of their first crush on a film star, a teacher, or a neighbourhood friend? For many queer individuals, these simple yet significant moments of development are lost. I remember sitting silently while my classmates discussed boys they liked. I couldn't relate to them and thought something was wrong with me. There was no one to tell me otherwise. Only after I left school and graduated did I begin to understand that I was attracted to the same gender. By then, many milestones of adolescence had passed, unnoticed, unspoken, and unlived. Studies show that helping adolescents develop a healthy relationship with attraction, love, and sex is essential to their emotional and psychological well-being. Denying queer children the space to explore their identities does not preserve innocence, it perpetuates ignorance, loneliness, and shame. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 constitutes a 'Gender Inclusion Fund'' to make sure that transgender students get equitable education. Though the policy acknowledges and seeks to address structural barriers that transgender children face within the schooling system, other queer identities have been ignored. However, policy does not automatically translate into inclusion in practice: 28% of transgender students reported harassment in school. While a total of 61,214 transgender children are enrolled in schools (Unified District Information System for Education 2019-20), this demographic is also likely to have the highest 'out-of-school' children. How can the lived experiences of queer people inform our curriculum and make it inclusive? Inclusive education is more than just access; it means being seen, respected, and supported. Educators, school leaders, and peers must be equipped with the knowledge and sensitivity to understand and respect transgender identities essential to building affirming safe spaces in schools. Schools are not merely spaces for academic learning, but crucial grounds where identities take shape, friendships form, and young people begin to understand the world. Integrating LGBTQ+ inclusive content into curriculum is not just introducing children to something foreign but recognising the reality they already live in. They observe trans persons at traffic signals and encounter same-sex couples in social media that often reject traditional notions of love and attraction. Yet, these lived realities find no reflection in textbooks or school environments. Including queer stories, histories, and movements does not require closed-door sex-ed sessions where boys and girls are separated. This awkward separation is only in a physical sense, as we rarely consider that there might be a trans-child among them. We need what I call 'courageous conversations'. Schools are precisely where such conversations should begin because they are where a child's future is shaped or stifled. If we truly want our schools to be inclusive, safe and nurturing, we must begin by reflecting the world as diverse, complex and full of possibility. Queer children exist. They deserve representation, respect, and room to grow like everyone else. Just make them feel normal. Everything else will follow. The writer is Programme Associate, IT for Change, Bengaluru.
The Print
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Print
Indian gay men are marrying straight women, breaking hearts. Coming out is too risky
Last month, I got the whiplash of my life. Here was this cute little gay guy, queening it out to Ghoomar on his 'close friends' Instagram Story, and the next thing I know, he's posting engagement photos, calling some clueless woman the love of his life. Meanwhile, the actual love of his life is posting broken hearts and ghazals. One would think the full-blown, Sanjay Leela Bhansali-style weddings and elaborate sangeet numbers would be a dead giveaway, but that's wilful blindness for you. Indian parents will do anything but admit their son is queer. As if straight Gen Zs marrying each other left, right, and centre wasn't a plague of its own, a more sinister scenario is unfolding now. Young gays are marrying straight women. And you thought beards had gone out of fashion. A 30-something gay man from Malegaon married a woman after a six-month-long engagement. During this time, he went on his last trip(s) with his lover(s) and bid a final farewell to the ones more prone to bouts of shayari. In the photo I saw from his wedding, he was posing with about eight gay and bi men, over half of them his not-so-platonic gym bros. Some of them were married to women themselves. It's a brotherhood of guileful gays. A guy from Kanpur found out his gay ex had married a woman—from the ex's bisexual older brother, who also happened to be his date. Eventually, the brother got married too. It's one big dollhouse, and everyone gets their own closet. This week, the US celebrated the 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage being legalised. It's been seven years since Section 377 was struck down in India. And while Netflix's #diverse storylines have probably rid some straight people of homophobia in these years, they haven't been able to rid the shame from Indian gay men. I used to think this only happened with uncles and grandpas. I'd see these silver sloths on Grindr, proudly displaying 'married' on their profiles, and tell myself that they belonged to an older India, untouched by YouTube or Twitter. One could understand how they'd find themselves trapped in unhappy marriages with wives who tried one beauty hack after another to make it work. Turns out, I was wrong. Young gays from Pune and Nashik, who wept watching Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Call Me By Your Name (2017), are repeating the plotlines, walking the pheras with wild abandon. One day, they're doing the entire Maar Dala routine in the club, and the next, they're ready to play Dr Nene. My ex, who enjoys playing the devil's advocate far too much, wanted to complicate the conversation. It's not so simple as gays being spineless, he said. Often, when it comes to marriage and family, even men don't have a choice. Coming out is too great a risk—sometimes, a matter of life and death. But my ex wasn't there when I had a life-changing conversation with a dear friend years ago. When she found that I was Tindering with a guy who was perhaps a little married, she questioned my entire moral system. 'As it is, women are dealt a horrible hand in marriage,' she said. 'And to think, queer men add to it too… Isn't that depressing?' It is. After that, any guy over the age of 28 I met on dating apps or otherwise had to be screened for a ring or relationship. I was surprised at how many tried to evade the question or got outright defensive. What's a woman where male privilege is at stake? That's why I find Badhaai Do (2022) so unrealistic. No gay man would go through the ordeal of finding a lesbian to marry when the alternative is much simpler: lying through his teeth. Also read: India's queer politics isn't about Right vs Left. It's a matter of privilege Play the man card What should these gay men do? Tell their families they're samlaingik and give their parents a heart attack? I'd say a cardiologist is far less expensive than a wedding. It's not that difficult a conversation, either, if you play your cards right. One has to start small. And don't choose the 'marriage is a failed institution' route; they've heard it far too often and will ignore it as one of the fancies of the young. Instead, mention in passing that you might marry someone from another caste. When that shock subsides, bring religion to the table. When you eventually tell them you like men, they'll probably be more relieved than outraged. Do I truly believe it's that easy? Of course not. But you don't know how many things you can get away with just by virtue of being a man. In a weird turn of events, the picture is changing. The younger gays, ones not jaded from the grand failure of the dating app experiment, are finding IRL romance and dreaming of marrying their boyfriends. Their love is strictly monogamous, highly sanitised, and almost holy. Straight women may be out of the picture, but hetero norms seem to be stronger than ever. Baby steps, I guess? Views are personal. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
The Hindu
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Queer Fiesta 2025 brings pride, performance and community together
Rohan Dutta Colour, music, and self-expression filled Phoenix Arena on Sunday as the sixth edition of Queer Fiesta unfolded, drawing more than 800 people from Hyderabad and nearby cities. Organised by Mobbera Foundation in collaboration with Pride Fund, the event stood out as one of the city's biggest Pride Month gatherings this year. Queer Fiesta has become an annual celebration of queer creativity, entrepreneurship and visibility. This year carried extra significance as Mobbera Foundation marked its tenth anniversary of activism and community building. Reflecting on this journey, Mobbera president Anil said the city had witnessed remarkable change in the past decade. From the fear of Section 377 to trans-persons facing police harassment, the community has seen struggle and discrimination. 'Today the same Hyderabad police is recruiting transpersons. This is real change and this year we are celebrating that transformation,' they said. Anil added that Queer Fiesta symbolises unity that cuts across religion, caste, gender and politics, a gathering where the LGBTQIA+ community could freely eat, shop, perform and assert its presence. 'We are not a minuscule minority that you can ignore anymore,' he said. 'Every June, we bring together queer artists and entrepreneurs to create this space. It is more than celebration, it is about visibility, belonging and pride,' said Sandy, former president of Mobbera Foundation. The festival featured 22 stalls offering art, pottery, fashion and accessories, alongside 16 stage performances that spanned drag, classical and tribal dance, poetry and music. Hyderabad's celebrated drag performer and classical dancer Patruni Sastry headlined the show, blending tradition with drag to loud cheers from the crowd. Other performers - Harsha Maheshwari, Chandu, Khemaya, Ayna, Lucky Naini, Satya and Sridhar - added to the vibrant lineup. For many stall owners, the event was not just a marketplace but a space for connection and visibility. 'It is not just selling, it is connecting with the community,' said Nitin of Soma Pottery, who showcased handcrafted ceramics. The open-air arena was lively with stalls on all sides and a central stage where classical dancers and poets performed. Queer attendees and allies mingled freely, enjoying the inclusive atmosphere. 'This is my fifth year at Queer Fiesta. I keep coming back because here I can truly be myself,' said one regular visitor. Another added, 'It is clearly bigger this year, a lot more people, like hundreds more. It is my second visit here and the difference is amazing.' As the sun set on Phoenix Arena, Queer Fiesta 2025 stood out as a space of joy, freedom and unity, a growing symbol of Hyderabad's thriving queer culture. (The writer is an intern at The Hindu)
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
💪 Mind the Gap: The big fat pride quiz
Hello Readers: It's Pride Month and I have a big fat pride quiz for you. Can you ace it? Read on: A pride parade.(PTI) Which city was the first to host a Pride Parade in India? a. Delhi b. Mumbai c. Bangaluru d. Kolkata 2. This law made same-sex relations illegal in India until it was repealed by the Supreme Court. It is: a. Section 377 of the Indian penal code b. The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act c. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act d. The Special Marriages Act 3. The lead petitioner in the Supreme court ruling that decriminalized section 377 in 2009 was: a. Vikram Seth b. Navtej Singh Johar c. Anjali Gopalan d. Saurabh Kirpal Queer people celebrating pride.(ANI) 4. The landmark 2014 Supreme Court judgment that officially recognized transgender people as a 'third gender' and granted them the right to self-identify as male or female or other is colloquially known as: a. Pocso b. Keshavananda Bharti c. Shakti Vahini d. Nalsa A still from the ad 5. Watch this viral 2017 Vicks ad, based on the real-life story of a transgender activist, here. Can you name the activist? A still from the movie Aligarh.(HT files) 6. Which of these movies does not feature a same-sex relationships? a. Dostana b. Mrs c. Fire d. Aligarh 7. In 2023, a five-judge Supreme Court bench declined to grant marriage equality rights to the LGBTQ community in a 3:2 verdict. The reason it gave: a. Indian society was not ready for it b. Legislation was the job of Parliament c. Marriage could only be seen as a union between a biological man and a biological woman d. To introduce such a concept would shake the foundations of the Indian family Who is he?(Twitter) 8. This is the bright, articulate and first openly gay person to be appointed a national spokesperson by a major political party. Name him. (Bonus if you can name the party as well). 9. The first country to legalise same-sex marriage is:a. Norway b. New Zealand c. Canada d. The Netherlands Scenes from a protest.(The New York Daily News/Wikimedia Commons) 10. This picture was shot in June 1961 and became the starting point of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, including Pride Parades. Can you name this event? 11. In this country (or countries) homosexual activity is punishable by death: a. Iran b. Russia c. Indonesia d. Uganda 12. The Supreme Court of this country ruled that for legal purposes, only those born biologically as women will be considered women. The country is: a. USA b. UK c. Spain d. Namibia This man was recently in the news.(Wikimedia Commons) 13. The first openly gay elected official in the United States was assassinated in 1998. Can you name this man? [Bonus: why was he in the news recently?] 14. Donald Trump said or did this. True or false? a. 'It is the official policy of the US government that there are only two genders, male and female' b. Banned transgender people from serving in the military c. 'Women have suffered greatly because of the participation of male-born players in women's sports. The whole situation is not only unjust but also insulting to women' d. Vowed to protect women whether 'they like it or not' 15. What does the rainbow flag represent? a. Diversity within the LGBTQ community b. A catchy and pleasing visual image c. Includes the colours of all the flags in the world d. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, signifying a better world at the end of the struggle for LGBTQ rights Answers The first pride parade in India(HT Files) d. Kolkata. In June 1999, when same-sex relations were still illegal, Kolkata hosted the first Pride Parade, calling it a 'friendship walk', with just 15 participants. BBC has more on that event here. 2. a. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code made sex 'against the order of nature' a criminal offence. Introduced during British colonial rule, it was repealed in the UK in 1967. Yet, many former colonies retained and some, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, still have it on their statute books. 3. Dancer Navtej Singh Johar was the lead petitioner in the Supreme Court judgement of 2018 that finally decriminalized same-sex relations by reading down Section 377. Earlier, in 2009, the Delhi high court had already decriminalized same-sex relations on a petition filed by Anjali Gopalan of the Naz Foundation but in 2013, the Supreme Court over-turned that decision leading Navtej and others to file a review petition which finally settled the issue, nearly a decade after the Delhi high court decision. 4. d. Nalsa or the National Legal Services Authority of India, set up in 1997 to provide free legal aid, was the primary petitioner to represent the grievances of the transgender community that was seeking a legal declaration of a gender identity other than the one assigned at birth. There were other petitioners too but, as the first listed petitioner, the landmark 2012 judgement came to be known as the Nalsa judgment. 5. a. Her name is Gauri Sawant, also known as Shree Gauri Sawant, who adopted a young girl after her mother died of HIV/AIDS. She was one of the petitioners in the Nalsa case. 6. b. Mrs, adapted from the critically acclaimed Malayalam film, The Great Indian Kitchen, deals with the burden of household chores and the unreasonable demands by the husband and in-laws of a newly married woman. 7. b. The Supreme Court passed the contentious issue back to Parliament saying it was not the job of the judiciary to pass laws. Two of the five judges did consider some compromises, such as the right to adopt or the right to be recognized in a civil partnership, but in the end gave the LGBTQ community no concessions. 8. Anish Gawande is a Rhodes scholar, an art curator and a political activist who co-founded Pink List, a website that listed 2019 Lok Sabha candidates on their record of supporting (or not) queer causes. In 2024, he was appointed national spokesperson for Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party. 9. d. In December 2000, the Netherlands added a few words to its existing marriage laws—"A marriage can be contracted by two people of different or the same sex'—and became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage. 10. The Stonewall Uprising began after New York city police raided a popular gay bar called the Stonewall Inn, an unlicensed private club said to be owned by the mafia, on June 28, 1969. Back then, homosexuality was a criminal offense and gay bars were routinely raided; Stonewall Inn had in fact already been raided earlier that week. But the raid turned violent with bar patrons and residents pelting the police with coins, stones and bottles, forcing them to barricade themselves inside Stonewall. The confrontation continued for six days and received inordinate media coverage boosting LGBTQ activism. 11. a and d: As of 2024, homosexuality was a criminal offense in 64 countries. It is punishable by death in 12, including Iran and Uganda. 12. b. UK. 13. That's Harvey Milk who had served in the Navy for four years before resigning because of his sexual orientation. Milk then became the first man in California to be elected to public office. He was in the news recently after US secretary of defense Pete Hegseth said he had ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk. 14. All are true. The intersex-inclusive progress pride flag. It was created in 2021 by Valentino Vecchietti. (Wikimedia Commons) on the original designed by artist Gilbert Baker and first flown at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade in 1978, the rainbow flag represents diversity, unity and the fight for equal rights. The flag colours and designs have evolved over time to reflect intersectionality within the community.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Courts accept that family goes beyond marital bonds. It's high time society did so too
When the Supreme Court of India decriminalised consensual same-sex relations in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India in 2018, it did more than just strike down an archaic colonial law. It recognised that queer individuals are entitled to equality, dignity and autonomy under the Constitution. During the proceedings, one of the counsels had emphatically argued, 'How strongly must we love knowing we are unconvicted felons under Section 377?' This unfettered practice of love, in the face of historical discrimination, was highlighted as a key argument for repealing Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Going beyond the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships, the judgment said: 'The right to love and to find a partner, to find fulfilment in a same-sex relationship is essential to a society which believes in freedom under the constitutional order based on rights.' Since Navtej, India's courts have seen a growing number of habeas corpus petitions involving queer individuals seeking protection from harassment, violence, or unlawful confinement by their natal families. The first such case was decided in 2018 in Sreeja S v. The Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram, where the Kerala High Court upheld the right of a lesbian woman to live with her partner without fear of reprisals from her family. While granting protection to such couples, courts have held that if the two parties are consenting adults, they have the right to stay with a person of their choice, irrespective of their gender identity or sexual orientation. These cases, often involving young couples fleeing social ostracisation or forced separation, reveal a simple truth: Decriminalisation is not enough. Without legal recognition of queer relationships, queer people remain vulnerable. Last month, the Madras High Court held that 'marriage is not the sole mode to found a family,' reflecting a reality long lived by queer communities which is often overlooked by the law. The Court's observation came in response to a habeas corpus petition filed by a 25-year-old woman from Tirupathur, who sought the release of her partner from unlawful detention by the partner's family. Rooted in a growing body of queer jurisprudence, the Court recognised the couple's right to form a family beyond the traditional, and arguably limiting, framework of marriage and heterosexual norms. This judgment is significant because it broadens the legal understanding of queer families, making clear that the right to family life is not limited to marriage, nor confined to heteronormative relationships. Grounded in the Supreme Court's consistent affirmation that consenting adults have the fundamental right to choose their partners, regardless of caste, as held in Lata Singh v. Union of India (2006); religion, as in Shafin Jahan v. Asokan K M (2018); or gender and sexuality, as in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018). Crucially, in Navtej, the Court clarified that the rights of queer persons encompass a broader, affirmative recognition of their right to love, dignity, and self-determination. This reasoning was further extended in Supriyo v. Union of India (2023). In this case, although the Supreme Court stopped short of legalising same-sex marriage, it unequivocally acknowledged the 'right to form intimate associations' as a core aspect of constitutional liberty. Central to its reasoning was also the decision in Deepika Singh v. Central Administrative Tribunal (2022), which expanded the legal understanding of 'family' beyond biological or marital ties, noting that the law must adapt to reflect lived realities, thereby making space for families of choice. The Court also relied on Devu G Nair v. State of Kerala (2023), wherein the Supreme Court had laid out comprehensive guidelines for how courts and authorities should handle cases involving queer couples. As part of the directions, the SC had urged lower courts to act swiftly, avoid bias, ensure police protection where needed, and strictly prohibit attempts to alter a person's sexual orientation or gender identity through 'conversion therapy' practices. In a legal and social landscape still largely preoccupied with marriage as the benchmark of legitimacy, judgments such as these mark a radical and necessary shift. It transforms constitutional guarantees into concrete protections, especially for those abandoned by family, society, or the state. In doing so, they reinforce that queer individuals are full rights-bearing citizens, entitled not only to protection from harm but also to affirmation, autonomy, and a sense of belonging. Looking ahead, the challenge is not merely to defend these hard-won judicial victories, but to build upon them and ensure that the law does more than shield queer lives. The writer is a socio-legal scholar working on gender and sexuality rights
