Recently, in what can be termed as a
historic event, the Supreme Court of the USA made gay marriage legal across the
US. This development came after Ireland became the first country to legalise
same-sex marriage through a national referendum. Both examples demonstrate the
massive shift in public opinion on the matter of LGBT rights. Popular opinion
of LGBT rights in developed countries has changed drastically from negligible
numbers in the 1960s (when the modern gay rights movement began) to favourable
numbers now.
After the judgement was given in the favour
of the LGBT community in the US, it triggered strong reactions in India. While
a majority of the people were seen celebrating the freedom of sexual equality
and marriage, some posted homophobic comments on Facebook. Anthony Savio
Fernandes from Margao says, “It is sad that, while on one hand we have people
who put a rainbow tint on their profile pictures to declare their allegiance to
the cause, on the other we have people who cannot accept what does not affect
their lives at all. I strongly urge people to look it up before they go ahead
and declare something to be unnatural, when it, in fact, is very much within
the bounds of nature.”
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It may be interesting to note that after
the Delhi High Court overturned Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that
criminalised gay sex, public opinion seemed to be in favour of LGBT rights.
When the Supreme Court reinstated Section 377 in 2012, it triggered nationwide
protests, making it evident that Indians were viewing homosexuality in a more
constructive light. Twitter and Facebook were flooded with pro-LGBT rights
messages, and celebrities from various fields like Amartya Sen, Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar and Aamir Khan, condemned the move.
I’m glad about the new law in the US.
For me, this means that the law accepts you for what you are and you do not
have to be converted to fit somebody else’s norms and criteria. Things are more
complicated in India as we have a more reserved mindset which will surely take
more time to evolve.
Sonia Shirsat, Ponda
To assume that all Indians would
overwhelmingly vote ‘Yes’ in a gay rights referendum, would be a mistake. More
than homophobic, India is homo-ignorant. Indians have to understand that gay
rights are human rights, and that homosexuality is not a Western invention but
a human reality.
Ashley Almeida, Mapusa
If India ever legalises gay marriage,
all will be well with the world, but on the contrary, I think all hell will
break lose. I still hope that one day, some day, India will realise its
potential if she just embraces one and all, irrespective of their cultural
background.
Samantha Trindade, Dona Paula
