India is indeed a great country. The people we have elected to run the country and the flag-bearers of different religions have a special place in their hearts towards the Indian LGBT community. Unfortunately, their understanding of homosexuality is highly skewed, as these comments clearly show.

“Homos are genetically handicapped. You need to go to a hospital. Being gay is mental disorder.” –Subramaniam Swamy

“Homosexuality is unnatural and a disease.”- Gulam Nabi Azad

“Homosexuality is an unnatural act and cannot be supported.” – Rajnath Singh

“Gay sex should not be legalised at any cost. Such obscene acts should not be allowed in our country.” – Lalu Prasad Yadav

“Homosexuality is not genetic. If our parents were homosexuals, then we would not have been born. So it’s unnatural. I invite the gay community to my yoga ashram and I guarantee to cure them of homosexuality.”- Baba Ramdev

“There is a need for psychological treatment of the LGBT community.”- Dr. Deepak Sawant

“We’ll set up centres to administer treatment to the LGBT youths to make them normal.”- Ramesh Twadkar

“Homosexuality is a socially immortal act in our society. No need to punish, but to be treated as a psychological case.” – Dattatreya Hosable

A British-era law – Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, that makes homosexuality a crime is being re-examined by the Supreme Court. At the hearing, which started three days back, a five-judge Constitution Bench said it would examine the “correctness” of a verdict given in 2013, which reiterated that gay sex is a criminal offence.

On the day of the hearing, the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) came out to establish its position on homosexuality. In a statement issued by the body, it said, “Homosexuality is not a psychiatric disorder. The Indian Psychiatric Society recognizes same sex sexuality as a normal variant of human sexuality much like heterosexuality and bisexuality. There is no scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be altered by any treatment and that any such attempts may in fact lead to low self-esteem and stigmatization of the person.”

The Indian Psychiatric Society further supports de-criminalization of homosexual behavior, it added, saying that this statement is in line with the position of American Psychiatric Association and The International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organisation which removed homosexuality from the list of psychiatric disorders in 1973 and 1992 respectively.

Wondering what our dear politicians and the religion stakeholders have to say now!

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