The term LGBTQIA+ is an ever-growing and evolving acronym which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual. The plus allows the term to cover all different subsects like pansexual, androgynous, demi-sexual, and more.
LGBT history in India
The LGBTQIA+ community in India has been documented since ancient times. The recent unbanning of homosexuality and promotion of LGBTQIA+ rights has caused a large amount of researches and opinions regarding the community emerging in India.
Ancient India
Ancient Indian texts are relevant to modern LGBT causes. Religion has played a role in shaping Indian customs and traditions. While injunctions on homosexuality's morality are not explicitly mentioned in the religious texts central to Hinduism, the largest religion in India, Hinduism has taken various positions on the topic, ranging from containing homosexual characters and themes in its texts to being neutral or antagonistic towards it.
Medieval India
Delhi Sultans
Homosexuality was rare in medieval Hindu society with Al-Biruni saying that Hindus greatly disapproved of it. Under the Muslim rule, it grew more common with the sultans of the Delhi Sultanate themselves establishing relationships with men despite the prohibitions against it in Sharia (the Islamic law).
Mughal Empire
The Fatawa-e-Alamgiri of the Mughal Empire mandated a common set of punishments for homosexuality, which could include 50 lashes for a slave, 100 for a free infidel, or death by stoning for a Muslim.
The biography of Sarmad Kashani (a poet and mystic) published by caretakers of his shrine states that he had fallen for a Hindu boy named Abhai Chand whose father eventually relented and allowed them to be together.
British Colonial Period
The British Raj criminalized sexual activities "against the order of nature", including homosexual sexual activities, under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which entered into force in 1861.
Republic of India (1947 CE - present)
There have been several changes in laws, and the mindsets of people during this period. Some notable changes are the legalization of same-sex sexual activity in 2018, anti discrimination laws in employment against the community since 2021, anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services since 2018, anti-discrimination laws covering gender identity since 2014, recognition of same-sex couples (e.g. unregistered cohabitation, life partnership) since 2020, declassification of homosexuality as an illness, access to IVF for lesbians, right to change legal gender (only with reassignment surgery) since 2019, a third gender option since and the ban of conversion therapy by law.
Although there has been a lot of progression, there is also a lot that needs to be done. Stepchild adoption and joint adoption by same-sex couples aren't legal. LGBT people aren't allowed to serve openly in the military. The legalization of same-sex marriages and allowance of MSMs to donate blood by court are still pending. Intersex minors are protected from invasive surgical procedures only in Tamil Nadu, and anti-discrimination laws in all areas (including indirect discrimination, hate speech) are only in State and government-funded bodies.
We must continue to strive for equality of people in the LGBTQIA+ community, since at the end of the day, we are all humans and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of our gender or sexuality.
LGBTQIAP+ acts that occurred in the past that we should take pride in:
The first study of homosexuality
Shakuntla Devi, a writer and maths wizard, wrote “The World of Homosexuals”, published in 1977. Shakuntala spoke to members of the queer community including same-sex couples living in India and abroad. She began documenting their experiences, their expectations from society, and the subdued way they had to navigate life. She revealed some bitter realities about how members of the gay community were treated by society, especially at a time when it was a taboo topic. The book itself is considered to be “pioneering” and the first case study on homosexuality of Indians. It contains interviews of two young Indian gay men, a male couple in Canada seeking legal marriage, a temple priest, and a systematic review, critique and analysis of the existing literature on the topic.
India’s first queer magazine
Bombay Dost is India's first registered magazine for the queer community. It was founded by Ashok Row Kavi in the year 1990. It is a gay magazine supporting gay people, and addresses issues faced by the transgender community. It is still in circulation.
A festival celebrating transgender and transvestite individuals
The trans community is as old as the temples in Madurai. Koovagam is a unique festival that revolves around the transgender community, celebrateing transgender and transvertite individuals. It is an 18-day long festival that is celebrated in Koovagam village in Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated annually in the Tamil month of Chitrai. The festival takes place at the Koothandavar Temple dedicated to Iruvan.
Author: Avika Chawla
Co-author: Gunpreet Kaur
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