Twitter
Advertisement

LGBTQ community gets ready for Delhi Pride Parade; to put 'concrete demand' before the government

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

With the annual Delhi Pride around the corner, the LGBTQ community will put forward a 'concrete demand' in front of the government this year. 

"The government must take some action and make it’s stand on the matter clear for all of us. There seems to be a fear amongst many who are outside the accepted norms of society. That needs to go," says Manak Matiyani of the Delhi Pride Committee. The Delhi Queer Pride Parade this year will take place on November 30. 

Last year, the Supreme Court upheld section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, thereby re-criminalising homosexuality. While many around the world decried the decision taken by the country’s apex court, it sought to shift the blame to the government, saying that the government must take a decision on the matter. 

The Naz Foundation, on behalf of the community, has filed a curative petition on the case. And a bench, comprising Chief Justice HL Dattu, Justices TS Thakur, Anil R Dave and SJ Mukhopadhyay, has agreed to hear the petition in an open court. 

Lawyer Anand Grover of the Naz Foundation, and founder of the Lawyer’s Collective, who has filed the petition, says he is "hoping to pursue the Supreme Court" in the matter. 

It also does not help that the BJP-led government had applauded the Supreme Court decision; then party chief Rajnath Singh had called homosexuality 'unnatural'. 

However, former health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had come out in support of the community early this year. "We don’t know what the Prime Minister thinks of the issue, even though the party had openly opposed same sex relationships. No one really knows what to do in this situation," says Rituparna Borah of the Delhi Pride Committee, adding that the “amazing language” employed by the Supreme Court judgement last year had affected her dignity. 

The SC decision, many feels, has made it difficult for the community, which was nevertheless marginalised. "There are more cases where section 377 is invoked, and many use the act as a tool of extortion and blackmail," says Matiyani. In June this year, a transgender visiting the Dargah of Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer, alleged that she was gangraped by the cops at the Dargah police station. In February, a gay man was allegedly gangraped by cops in Ahmedabad because they recognised him from the pride parade he had participated in. 

"Nobody wants to be 'caught', for the lack of a better word. There was a Cabinet decision to stop same-sex couples from adopting children as part of the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act. What does one do in a situation where the law tells you that your sexual identity is wrong," says Bora. 

Despite the grim, the NALSA judgement in April this year, that identified the third gender has been some reason of hope. The community feels that minority segments must come forward together. "There needs to be an alliance or a network of the marginalised," says Bora. Matiyani echoes her sentiment, "The judgement was a breach of all of our constitutional rights, and we must fight it."

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement