Expanding his support to sexual minorities swami Agnivesh said that he would aid their cause in the Supreme Court.
Expanding his support to sexual minorities swami Agnivesh said that he would aid their cause in the Supreme Court. He was speaking at a discourse on “Religion, Inclusiveness and Sexual Minorities’’, organised by Sangama and Aneka, two organisations fighting for the rights of sexual minorities at NGO Hall on Monday.
“We want sexual minorities to be respected, not tolerated,’’ he said.
He expressed hope that the Union government would not oppose the Delhi High Court order. Instead, the government should try to uphold constitutional morality by filing an affidavit taking a pro-sexual minority stand. He criticised yoga guru Baba Ramdev for talking against the sexual minorities.
“He cannot treat or change sexual minorities overnight by hating them or threatening them. Homosexuality is an inherited sexual orientation that one cannot change forcibly,’’ he said. He gave a call to sexual minorities to love all those who hate them and said that it would bring in a positive change among them.
Dr Asghar Ali Engineer, a reformist-writer and activist, welcomed the Delhi High Court order. “Homosexuality is an age old practice and even Babur, the Mughal king had a boy friend, about whom he mentioned in his diary,’’ he explained.
Pointing out the increasing number of suicides among sexual minority groups, Elavarthy Manohar from Aneka said, “Don’t become desperate. We are united and we will fight the case in the SC.”
Repeated and vociferous condemnation of the Delhi High Court order that decriminalises homosexuality by religious bodies are an indication of their inherently conservative and reactionary commitment to powerful patriarchal and pro-natalist (encouraging child bearing) sexual norms and gender categories, said Revathy, director, Sangama. “However there have also been voices that spoke differently. Sangama and Aneka are seeking to bring together the voices that illustrate the diverse, complex and at times even contradictory traditions and practices that come under the broad rubric of religion,’’ she said.
Sexual minorities are also people of faith, embracing both religion and their sexuality with joy. The basic tenets of all religions are love and compassion, and recognising the divine in all beings. This then makes the attitude of hate and violence inadmissible. “Religious texts and practices are constantly being reinterpreted by people who have their own perspectives. They have transformed the religion. Time is now ripe for an engagement between religion and issues of sexual minorities,’’ added Revathi.
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