THEGAYUK

Tag: INDIA

Welcome to TheGayIndia.in. The latest LGBT news from India. News, views, review and interviews updated daily. One of Gay India’s leading online news resources.

  • Gay sex now legal in India

    Gay sex now legal in India

    A law known as Section 377 has been overturned by the Indian Supreme Court.

    The court’s ruling reverses a 2013 decision that a colonial-era law, known as section 377, under which sex between two men is categorised as an “unnatural offence” would stay on the books.

    According to the BBC, “It is one of the world’s oldest laws criminalising gay sex, and India has been reluctant to overturn it”

    That is until now.

    Speaking about the ruling, leading LGBT+ rights activist, Peter Tatchell said,

    “This historic legal ruling sets free from criminalisation almost one fifth of the world’s LGBT+ people. It is the biggest, most impactful gay law reform in human history. I hope it will inspire and empower similar legal challenges in many of the 70 countries that still outlaw same-sex relations, 35 of which are member states of the Commonwealth.

    “Ending the ban on homosexuality is just a start. There are still huge challenges to end the stigma, discrimination and hate crime that LGBTs suffer in India.

    “Indian LGBTs now revert to the legal status of non-criminalisation that existed prior to the British colonisers imposing the homophobic section 377 of the criminal code in the nineteenth century.”

    Read the full story on BBC.com

  • India’s top court to review gay sex ban

    India’s Supreme Court on Monday announced a review of a hugely controversial ban on gay sex, saying no one should have to live in fear because of their sexuality. The court said it would take up a legal challenge by five high-profile Indians who said the colonial-era law created an atmosphere of intimidation. (more…)

  • LGBT+ films to be shown in Delhi at Miranda House

    India’s first traveling campus LGBT+ film festival ‘ KASHISH Forward’ and Sridhar Rangayan’s ‘Purple Skies’ will screen at Miranda House in Delhi University, to raise awareness about LGBT+ issues

    After travelling to 13 cities with 16 screenings, KASHISH Forward now travels to New Delhi to screen at Miranda House, University of Delhi on August 25th from 11.30am to 4.00pm. The event which is open to all will screen 7 LGBT+ films focused on youth and their issues like gender identity, coming out and family acceptance.

    The event will also screen Sridhar Rangayan’s acclaimed documentary film on LBT (lesbians, bisexuals and transmen) ‘Purple Skies’, produced by PSBT India and Solaris Pictures. This was the first lesbian themed film to receive a U certificate from the censor board and also was telecast on Doordarshan.

    “Lesbians and bisexual women face double discrimination – as same-sex loving persons and as women – and have a tougher time negotiating for their rights in Indian society. There has to be a move to make LBT community more visible and their concerns heard loud”, said Sridhar Rangayan, director of the film and festival director of KASHISH,

    “It is important to start dialogue at college level with young minds”, he added.

    The event, organised by the Women’s Development Cell of Miranda House and KASHISH Arts Foundation, the parent body of KASHISH MIQFF in association with Queer India Support and Movies That Matter (Netherlands).

    “We at Miranda House believe in creating inclusive, safe and brave space where diversity is accepted and equitable access between all individuals is normative”, said Aishwarya Unnikrishnan, President of Women’s Development Cell, Miranda House whose motto is “Together We Rise”, aiming to forge solidarity with different movements happening across the globe to anchor beyond the binaries.

    Queer India Support is a new initiative that essentially aims to be the first line of support for LGBT+ individuals and their allies and a platform that surpasses geographical constraints with the digital medium.

    “We are happy to bridge the gap between such compelling film screenings and the campuses. Hope this contributes to the sensitization of the students and becomes a step in building a more inclusive society”, said Harsh Aggarwal, Founder of Queer India Support, which aims to be the first line of support for queer individuals and their allies.

    The films to be screened at the event are Keep Your Head Up from Ireland, Amar: Deaf Is An Identity and Scarlines from Canada, No Matter Who  from France,  To Mum (Love Me) from Singapore, and All About Love and My Child Is Gay, I Am Happy from India

  • Mr Gay India Answers “Silly Questions” People Ask Gay Men

    Mr Gay India Answers “Silly Questions” People Ask Gay Men

    Hats off to Mr Gay India as he answers some of the stupidest questions people ask the gay community.

    CREDIT: GaysiFamily/ Facebook

    Anwesh Kumar Sahoo, who won the title of Mr Gay India 2016 answers some of the stupidest questions he’s ever been asked…

    And he does it with true sass.

    In the video Sahoo answers questions such as “when did you decide to be gay”, “are you the man or the woman” and “do you like madonna.”

    Enjoy

  • Boy, Sets Himself On Fire Because Of Anti-Gay Bullying

    A 15-year-old student in India has set himself on fire because of anti-gay bullying after being caught being intimate with boyfriend.

    A student in Madia Katra, Agra, at the top of his class, set fire to himself after being caught by neighbours being intimate with a friend. He was relentlessly bullying and harassed the boy’s father has told the media in India.

    The unnamed boy dowsed himself in stolen diesel on Sunday and set fire to himself. Family and neighbours quickly put out the flames, but he sustained 40% burns to his chest and legs.

    Speaking to The Times Of India, the father said,

    “‘He is unable to speak properly. The doctors say he is out of danger but I will only believe it when my son will talk to me,”

    “The news spread and a some people started teasing and harassing him”.

     

    The father added,

    “Upset, he locked himself in the room for two days. He suddenly ran outside the house on Sunday afternoon and set himself afire by pouring diesel on himself.”

     

    Same-sex activity is currently illegal in India and holds a penalty of up to life imprisonment. In December 2015 Shashi Tharoor, a member of the Indian National Congress party, introduced a bill to decriminalise homosexuality. The house rejected the bill by a vote of 71-24. Tharoor is planning to reintroduce the bill.

  • Goa Government Plans To Make Young LGBTs “NORMAL”

    Plans are being discussed to set up centres to treat and ‘train’ young gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people to be ‘normal’.

    Officials in Goa have discussed plans to create centres, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous to treat LGBTs where they will be ‘trained’ and given medicines to make them ‘normal’ state Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Ramesh Tawadkar said in January.

    Speaking to reporters at a launch event for Goa State Youth Policy 2015 the Tribune India reports he said, “We will make them normal. We will have a centre for them. Like Alcoholic Anonymous centres, we will have centres…”

    When asked what that meant for the LGBTs in the region he replied, “We will train them and (give them) medicines too.” Other target groups include: juvenile offenders, drug-afflicted youth, marginalised or migrant youth, geographically disadvantaged youth. A full survey will be carried out on the LGBT community, so their problems can be specifically addressed.

  • 30 Rock actor gets engaged at the Taj Mahal

    30 Rock Actor Maulik Pancholy got engaged in front of the Taj Mahal in India.

    Maulik Pancholy who came out in 2013, has just gotten engaged to his long-term partner Ryan Crovaia. They have been together for 9 years.

    Hurrah!

    30 Rock was an NBC programme which ran for 7 series until 2013 and starred the controversial Alec Baldwin.

  • India Supreme Court Rules To Re-Criminalise Gay Sex

    India Supreme Court rules to re-criminalise gay sex, punishable by 10 years imprisonment.

    The 153-year-old colonial law which describes same-sex relationships as an ‘unnatural offence’, had only just been overturned in July 2009, giving hope to many LGBT people in India.

    Now, four years on, it will be in the hands of the government to make the ruling law.

    BBC News reports, ‘India’s Law Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters the government would respect the ruling but did not say whether there were plans to amend the law. Correspondents say any new legislation is unlikely soon – general elections are due next year.’
    There are plans, from disappointed gay rights activists, to approach the court to review their decision.

    This comes in the same year that Russia started to take away LGBT rights from their own people and visitors.