Team Herald
PANJIM: The historic ruling of the Supreme Court decriminalising gay sex has come as a major respite for the LGBT community in the State but with an apprehension that conservative Indians might not change their perception towards the gay community.
As per the official figures by NGO Humsaath Trust, Goa – advocating rights and health of the LGBT community, around 3,000 gays are registered so far. The Trust’s programme manager and board member Lal Baig is now confident that they will not be subjected to harassment by police and goons anymore.
“It is a big victory for the LGBT community. We can live without fear of being harassed by police and goons. Many in our (gay) community are not accepted by their family members and were forced to conceal the gender to the society, but now we can live with dignity,” he told Herald in response to SC’s landmark decision on Thursday.
As many as 2,100 gays are registered with the Trust in the north district while 1,200 are registered in the South. Baig said unofficial figures could be around 5,000 as some still live in the fear of being ostracised and bullying by the society.
Another member of the gay community has hailed the ruling of country’s highest court claiming the colonial-era law was used to target and harass the homosexuals. “There have been a number of cases, also reported in Goa but these go unreported, because if there is a police complaint it could attract Section 377 of the IPC. So it was better to bear the harassment than being discriminated and become a mockery in public. But the present decision is a slap on their face,” he said refusing to be named.
“It will still take time in India to accept the harsh fact,” the 37-year-old reacted after being asked why he would not like to be quoted.
Hiten, fighting for homosexual rights for several years and who participated in awareness programs across the country, expressed that world largest democratic country should end discrimination. “The judgment has indeed given relief to the gay community but will this end discrimination especially among conservative Indians? I believe it is a long way to go and we have to now work towards ensuring that the community is not discriminated as we now have the law backing us. The government should come out with a legislation to safeguard us,” he said.
The community now demands equal status in the education and employment sector citing right to equality.
