Shakuntala Devi's life changed after marryg a gay man: The human behd the human puter - India Today

Contents:

• WHEN IAS HBAND’S SEXUALY MA INDIA’S ‘HUMAN COMPUTER’ FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS
• WAS SHAKUNTALA DEVI’S HBAND GAY?
• I WAS AN OFFICER IN THE INDIAN ARMY, I'M GAY AND VERY PROUD
• I'M A GAY ARMY OFFICER—QUEER TROOPS MT FIGHT BACK
• SHAKUNTALA DEVI'S LIFE CHANGED AFTER MARRYG A GAY MAN: THE HUMAN BEHD THE HUMAN PUTER
• ARMY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY GENERAL RETIR AFTER SPIRG OTHERS

WHEN IAS HBAND’S SEXUALY MA INDIA’S ‘HUMAN COMPUTER’ FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS

While Shakuntala Devi’s extraordary abily to solve plited arhmetil problems wh apparent ease and astonishg speed astound the world, we are equally awe of how and why she led a fight agast the crimalisatn of homosexualy.

WAS SHAKUNTALA DEVI’S HBAND GAY?

One would prume that the realisatn that she had married a gay man would have turned her world upsi down. It probably was a ep shock, but Shakuntala rose above and ma a genue effort to study the plight of the gay muny India.

While still married to Bannerji, she started speakg to members of the gay muny still ‘ the closet’, same-sex upl livg abroad and India. Compilg her rearch and terviews her book, ‘The World of Homosexuals, ’ she tried to brg their stggl to the notice of the mastream. Today, the book is also nsired to be one of the first prehensive studi of beg gay India, makg Shakuntala Devi revered as an early pneer morn India’s fight for gay rights.

I WAS AN OFFICER IN THE INDIAN ARMY, I'M GAY AND VERY PROUD

“My only qualifitn for wrg this book is that I am a human beg, ” she had documented, llg for “full and plete acceptance, not jt tolerance and sympathy” for those who intify as gay. “This nceptn of homosexualy as a ‘ndn’ and the behavur supports merely operat as a form of social ntrol a society which homosexualy is nmned… The time is overdue now, when rather than pretendg that homosexuals don’t exist, or hopg to eradite them by the sheer weight of disapproval or prison sentenc, we face the facts squarely the eye and fd room for them so that they n live unfettered and unmolted, and make their ntributn to the mon good of muny. While Shakuntala Devi is renowned across the world for her numeril prows, we firmly believe that her story of g to terms wh her hband’s closeted sexualy and beg a csar for gay rights serv to be highlighted and appreciated so much more.

(Eded by Gayatri Mishra).

I'M A GAY ARMY OFFICER—QUEER TROOPS MT FIGHT BACK

The film do not que touch upon why the two spl up, but those acquated wh Shakuntala Devi’s life might be wonrg if Parosh is gay. Was Shakuntala Devi’s Hband Gay?

Parosh turned out to be gay.

SHAKUNTALA DEVI'S LIFE CHANGED AFTER MARRYG A GAY MAN: THE HUMAN BEHD THE HUMAN PUTER

Notably, India was very different at that time, and homosexualy was a taboo. In an attempt to unrstand homosexualy, Shakuntala Devi started speakg to members of the muny – closeted homosexuals and same-sex upl India and abroad. Shakuntala Devi put together the rearch ‘The World of Homosexuals, ’ where she lled for the crimalizatn of the way of life, back 1977.

ARMY’S FIRST OPENLY GAY GENERAL RETIR AFTER SPIRG OTHERS

Her father, Dr SC Awasthi, is a homoeopath by profsn, while her mother, Madhulata Awasthi, once a school teacher, took a pivotal step to support Jagrati her amic pursus.

In a siar ve, I don't see my future workplace (or even India self) beg a place where openly gay folks n live a life ee of harassment and csant quiry. But as a gay man, I have been fightg my whole life to enjoy the very privileg I am entled to as both a beholr and protector of them. I was one of few soldiers who joed the service before graduatg high school, but the admistratn at the time, which I believe was homophobic, chose to act as if I never existed bee of my queer hate that I experienced growg up on Long Island was my first enunter wh how others would treat me as a queer soldier.

Sagayam.