Before lonialism, India embraced homosexualy and genr fluidy. The Supreme Court’s repeal of a 157-year-old gay sex ban partially reclaims that history, but LGBTQ Indians still face hurdl.
Contents:
- ‘INDIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUEER AF – WE EVEN HAVE A GAY TAJ MAHAL’
- THE SLOW EVOLUTN OF GAY CULTURE INDIA
‘INDIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUEER AF – WE EVEN HAVE A GAY TAJ MAHAL’
Societal valu, the ste system, arranged marriag, the high probabily of beg dishered for g out — India, everythg ns unter to gay liberatn. * gay in indian history *
By Prabhash K Dutta, India Today Web Dk: Ne years after the Delhi High Court crimalised homosexual acts among nsentg adults by readg down Sectn 377 of the Indian Penal Co (IPC), the Supreme Court today began hearg the matter.
Implemented 1860 by the Brish lonial lers, Sectn 377 puts homosexualy unr unnatural offenc providg for sentence up to life imprisonment. A bunch of petns challenged the wordgs Sectn 377, "whoever voluntarily has rnal terurse agast the orr of nature wh any man, woman or animal" sayg vlated the rights of a sectn of society reprented by lbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenrs (LGBT). The Delhi High Court on July 2, 2009 pronounced a judgment makg voluntary homosexual act between adults as legal.
Homosexualy ancient India: 10 potsIn the templ of Khajuraho, there are imag of women erotilly embracg other women and men displayg their genals to each other.
THE SLOW EVOLUTN OF GAY CULTURE INDIA
For Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, and Queer Pri Month, Dennis Zotigh, a cultural specialist at the Natnal Mm of the Amerin Indian, ved Native iends to tell how their tradnal culture saw s LGBTQ members. A Chirihua Apache iend replied, “Now, Dennis, this is a human qutn, not [jt] Native.” We agree. But we also appreciate hearg what Native Amerins have learned, renstcted, or been unable to renstct about this part of our shared history and experience. * gay in indian history *
Scholars have generally explaed this as an acknowledgement that people engaged homosexual acts. The famo law , Manmri provis for punishment to homosexual men and women. In the se of homosexual mal, Manmri says that sexual unn between wh two men brgs loss of ste.
The nth chapter of the Kamasutra of Vatsyayana -- posed around 4th century BC, talks about oral sexual acts (Auparistaka), homosexualy and also of siar activi among transgenrs (triya prakri). The book, however, do not favour homosexualy of any kd. Arthashastra of Ktilya -- a treatise on polics -- also mentns homosexualy.