Diary Entry #2 – Are the times changing for the LGBT community?

In the light of the Supreme Court’s hearing of the curative petition against section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the LGBT community in India once again grabbed eyeballs and even great support via social media platforms with people voicing their solidarity.  Unreal though it may seem, but it definitely looks like a path breaking embracement of the ‘miniscule minority’ by our ‘sex fearing’, ‘taboo loving’ country.

On February 2^nd 2016, the three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A R Dave and J S Khehar agreed that the case involving important issues concerning the scope of human relationship needed to be heard by a larger bench, which would be constituted in the future.

In the context of this episode, Harish Iyer, one of the most influential equal rights activists conversed with TSCMC and expressed, “We cannot choose our parents or our sexuality. We need to love who we are, and respect others for whatever they are. It is our moral duty to ensure that section 377 is read down. Till we achieve that, we don’t have true freedom or Swaraj. Society will change, people will change for the better. We need to begin with the law. Swaraj is my birth right, and I will have it. We need more Tilaks now!”

The rainbow community has long struggled to create an independent identity for fruitful survival, but time and again various forces have acted against their cause. How many of us have laughed over a pansy looking male in mainstream Bollywood movies, with an equally disgraceful background score? The transgender community has been shoved into the role of begging at traffic junctions, while lesbian lovemaking is met with shock. Yes, popular media has played a large role in shaping these ideas in our minds.

However, in recent times, film makers, authors, creative visualizers, amongst others from the industry have pushed their limits to incorporate this community in the mainstream society. Their attempts have met with discreet censorship, criticism, back lash, and even threats by their audience, and yet writers such as Ismat Chughtai, Mahesh Dattani, Vijay Tendulakar have put forth their themes boldly in their works over the years. Movies have increasingly become sensitive to homophobic jokes and recent films like ‘Margarita With A Straw’ directed by Shonali Bose have deepened the awareness.

Where does all this awareness begin from? It boils down to the education the young guns receive in schools and colleges. It’s the response a peer group gives to an adolescent struggling with his or her sexuality. Teasing, laughing, bullying…the members of this small but iconic community have faced it all.

Changing times however have made the upcoming generations more vigilant about individual choices, varied orientations and personal preferences of each and every one. Students are more open to groups and clubs where grievances are shared; while many youngsters don’t even find a reason to discriminate.

TSCMC’s Advertising and PR student, Akshata Narayan chipped in, “Integration, not segregation. The community is simply looking for more help along those lines. I could tell you the travails of an everyday life, but honestly, we’re all just looking for home.”

With more and more number of people coming out of the closet and embracing their sexuality, it’s a welcome change to see movement in stagnancy. The individual in every Indian seems to have woken up to smell some strong brewing of coffee. The ‘progressive ones’ will stay glued to updates, the opposing ones will grumble while the LGBT community’s happiness is dangling by a thin thread. But one thing’s for sure, outside the court room, ‘love is not yet lost.’