The Indian State never tires of pontificating and appealing to alleged Naxalites/ Maoists/ terrorists/ militants/ separatists/ freedom fighters to shun violence, come under the Indian Constitution and adopt parliamentary path. The LGBTQIA movement has been peaceful; legal & constitutional; and democratic. Why is Parliament then vary of discussing the Gay Manifesto?
By way of partial repeal of Section 377 Indian Penal Code, in September 2018 the apex court has merely thrown crumbs at the sexual minority community. Meaningful liberation will come if the whole section is repealed in toto and the Gay Manifesto conceded.
AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan (ABVA) has released its 40-paged document titled “The Struggle Will Continue Till Parliament Debates – Nay Concedes – The Gay Manifesto 1991 New Delhi, India”. This document is a compilation of seven articles penned by ABVA member(s) over the last eight years around Parliament’s deafening silence and Gay Manifesto. The Document is available here.
This Document is dedicated to those millions of LGBTQIA persons who have not yet gained anything meaningful out of the Supreme Court judgement of 2018. The elite and rich amongst them may have an illusion that they have achieved something. However the masses amongst the sexual minority – numbering around 8-10 crores in population as per the Supreme Court’s judgement – who have no room/home of their own cannot get solace out of ‘adult consensual homosexual act in private’ being allowed; they are still at the mercy of police and the all-pervading homophobic culture.
Freedom movement in India against British colonial rule stretched over two centuries. The LGBTQIA community in India has a long way to go for its eventual liberation. No power on earth can stop it from the recent march forward. It shall overcome all obstacles and win. Undoubtedly. That day true deepening of democracy in India would then have taken place. That is the hope. And dream too. There is no room for complacency. Revolutionary poet Paash has stressed this in his poem titled ‘The Most Dangerous’ (quote):
“… To be filled with dead peace
Not to feel agony and bear it all,
Leaving home for work
And from work return home
Most dangerous is the death of our dreams…”
Shobha Aggarwal & P.S. Sahni
ABVA members
Email: [email protected]
