The Indian government's review of legislation that outlaws homosexuality is another step in the nation's gay revolutionThe Indian gay and lesbian community may have been told not to get their hopes up about the government decriminalising homosexuality, but the fact that talks have even begun this week to discuss repealing section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, should be cause to celebrate. In India, homosexuality is illegal and carries a life sentence. But while fierce opposition has predictably come from extreme Hindu and Muslim religious parties such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, who claim it would bring "sexual anarchy" and "spread diseases", it can only be a matter of time until change arrives. After all, even Nepal lifted its ban in 2007.Apart from the fact that India is trying to rebrand itself as a superpower and distance itself from its neighbour Pakistan (which also bans homosexuality), the gay revolution is already under way, whether or not the judicial system likes it. Gay Pride parades took place in India's major cities last Sunday for the second successful year in a row, from which a poignant image emerged that encapsulated the years of struggle and hope for the future of India's gay community. Two elderly Indian women, one resting her head on the other's shoulders, carried banners declaring their love for each other. Doesn't sound like a big deal? In Hindi, to quote Deepa Mehta's groundbreaking lesbian film Fire, there isn't even a word for lesbian. It doesn't exist in Indian society, according to those in power - it cannot exist.
The Indian gay and lesbian community may have been told not to get their hopes up about the government decriminalising homosexuality, but the fact that talks have even begun this week to discuss repealing section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, should be cause to celebrate. In India, homosexuality is illegal and carries a life sentence. But while fierce opposition has predictably come from extreme Hindu and Muslim religious parties such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, who claim it would bring "sexual anarchy" and "spread diseases", it can only be a matter of time until change arrives. After all, even Nepal lifted its ban in 2007.
Apart from the fact that India is trying to rebrand itself as a superpower and distance itself from its neighbour Pakistan (which also bans homosexuality), the gay revolution is already under way, whether or not the judicial system likes it. Gay Pride parades took place in India's major cities last Sunday for the second successful year in a row, from which a poignant image emerged that encapsulated the years of struggle and hope for the future of India's gay community. Two elderly Indian women, one resting her head on the other's shoulders, carried banners declaring their love for each other. Doesn't sound like a big deal? In Hindi, to quote Deepa Mehta's groundbreaking lesbian film Fire, there isn't even a word for lesbian. It doesn't exist in Indian society, according to those in power - it cannot exist.
