L.G.B.T.Q. : A Long Way To Go

How would it feel like to be hiding an integral aspect of oneself just because the people outside would not understand you? How would it feel on being discriminated, and considered ‘different’ from others?

It is the Pride Month. Every year, during June, people across the globe come out against the discrimination and violence, towards the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community, and to promote equal rights and recognition in the society. The LGBTQ community people have faced discrimination from decades in every possible aspect be it, employment or healthcare. They were tagged to be ‘different’ just because they do not fulfil the criteria setup by the society. In a report of 2014, Andrew Moffat, author of several books of promoting equality and tackling homophobia in schools and assistant head teacher in a school in Birmingham, had to step down from his position. This happened after the complaints from the parents of the students over spreading awareness about homosexuality in in lectures, also over his decision of coming out of being gay in the school assembly.

The tremendous step of the Supreme Court, of discrimination of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, and giving recognition to over 2.5 million people of LGBTQ community in India and offering them a moment of celebration. This verdict of the Supreme Court played helpful in changing the orthodox mindset of the people. While the majority of the Nation seemed happy with this step, some found it objectionable. After the verdict, Arun Kumar, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh said “Just like the Supreme Court, we also do not consider this as a crime. But we do not support homosexuality, as same-sex marriages and relations are not in sync with nature.” How does one define something as ‘natural’ or ‘unnatural’?

We live in a world people seem to follow their religion, and mythological texts so sedately, that they could even cast aside the law over it. Scholars have found the LGBT themes to occur in mythologies and religious narratives. The homosexuality and gender fluidity in the actions of ancient gods have now become a subject of intense research and study. So why there is still this outrage amongst the people.

This just a step towards equality, there is a long way to go. LGBTQ community is just given legal rights, what really needs to change the mentality of the people, by treating them as the normal people and not eying them as someone different. This could be done by enhancing the syllabus of primary education and taking openly about it. This would give them the audacity of coming out to their friends and family. The awareness should spread to even the tormented sections of the nation because the reality for the members of LGBTQ community is different in rural places in India. There are still places where one does not even know what does LGBT stands for? And in the other world, we have Nepal as the latest country to officially recognise the existence of third gender, and providing its transgender citizens with a passport. There is still a stringent path to proceed with, but one needs to keep the pace and strength.

There is a reason that the flag of the community is rainbow, let us work for the integrity of that.