As we all know that the Supreme Court of India, last year, declared Section 377 as unconstitutional. Section 377 of the India Penal Code that criminalized consensual gay sex.This battle of deciding whether homosexuality is a crime has been going on for decades. In 1999, Kolkata became the first city in South Asia to conduct its first pride parade. In 2008, Delhi, Bangalore, and Pondicherry followed suit. The former prime minister, Manmohan Singh also advocated for greater social tolerance towards homosexuals at an AIDS event.
Washington Post
There were a couple of downfalls during this journey. In 2013, due to the overwhelming pressure from religious and conservative groups, the Supreme Court of India re-criminalized homosexual intercourse. Even though, the LGBTQ+ community has won a legal right to be who they want to be, society still frowns upon them. I recently took a train ride from Andheri to Grant Road. As the crowded train approached the station, a eunuch boarded the train and stood on the side due to the lack of seats available. The men standing right adjacent felt uncomfortable to a point where they felt the need to threaten him to leave the MOVING TRAIN.
Here is where I believe that India is growing as a country. The moment these men harassed him, a majority of the crowd in the train started rebuking these men for their actions. The fact that many people are willing to advocate for the equal treatment of all human beings even if they do not accept a person viscerally, just shows how India is progressing as a tolerant and liberal country that respects the opinions and the right for people to live how they want.
It is impossible to change everyone's mindset in a day. It will take time. Change takes time. To quote one of my favorite movies Creed: "One step at a time, one punch at a time, one round at a time."
We can and will make the world a better place for everyone including the LGBTQ community one step at a time.
The LGBTQ community want equal rights, not special rights. They want to be treated as normal human beings and that is in their constitutional right wherever they go.
