g_b Re: Thoughts from a married homosexual
Dear Mr.Confessions, (perhaps its time to find another alias? :D) Thanks for your post. Your comments after the story ring true, and although I am sure many others have thought the same things, I am glad that you've put them down in one place. I am closeted, (surprise, surprise), but almost all my friends know about my sexuality. They are all straight, and over four years I chose with care the time and the situation in which I came out to each one of them. Today all the 15 guys in my college hostel wing (and others besides) are fine with it to the extent that in streets and in restaurants, they point to (what they think are) good-looking boys and ask with a wicked smile, "AB.,quick! 3-o-clock! kaisa laga? :D" I am all the more pleased because not all of these friends are city lads; They are from small towns and cities from Bihar, UP, Andhra, Rajasthan, and whatnot. Perhaps I'll post someday about my experiences in detail. But I brought this up because, although at the end of your letter, you say "With a little luck and a bit of courage in many hearts, things will pass", what we all want is that these "things come to pass" within our own lifetime (or even better, youth). I wanted to let the readers know that if done right, people are far more capable of accepting homosexuality than we think, especially if they closely know a homosexual themselves. It is in our hands alone to speed up the process by which we are accepted within our immediate circle, and thus reach the 'critical mass' at which a society begins to turn its attitude towards us. --- In gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com, naughty confessions wrote: > > > Thoughts from a married homosexual > > I don't know where or when the posting (reproduced below) first appeared, > but it is evidently by a man with homosexual yearnings in India. I think it > represents the feelings of a lot of people who know they don't belong to the > heterosexual world but cannot see any other world. > > I am a 38 year old guy and have spend a greater part of my life in Delhi, > right since I was born, my education, my first job etc. > I never had any real sexual experience with any guy till my first job, though > I always fantasised myself having sex with some of the good looking guys in > my class, getting pics from magazines such as Gladrags and shagging in the > bathroom looking at those pics. I also spent a good amount of time cruising > for guys in Andheri and Bandra railway stations when I was in Mumbai. > It was a time when the internet had not caught on and you had a very decent > crowd coming to these stations, that is now abound with touts. I also allowed > myself to be probed by guys in crowded trains. Once the internet came in, > then the means changed and the web became a new field for cruising. One thing > I did observe in the gay community, whether it was in the stations or in the > web, the focus was tremendously on sex. It all boiled down to ASL and stats > in 99 % of the cases. > > > I also got confused with this approach and the meaningfulness of the same and > during the time I was also under pressure to get married. I was with a good > organization, was very well qualified and had the advantage of good looks. > Even today if I happen to chat, I say am 25 and am able to get along with > that. In fact most of the guys I met who were in their mid 20s actually > looked much older than me. > > Before I get into something else, let me come back to the issue of marriage > that started troubling me. I spent long hours wondering on how to tackle this > issue, I never came out in the open to my family. Even today I am not out. I > had lengthy discussions with my elder brother on the significance of marriage > and what it means to my life. I also had fears of sexual compatibility with > my wife and how I intend to do justice to her and my kid in the future. I was > also disillusioned with the gay world, not because it was not socially > acceptable, but with the hollowness of the whole concept of adopting a gay > life. > I am also an avid reader of the Bhagwad Gita and must say that it's the > mother of all books on modern thinking. And I must share with you that it's a > book which is very practical today and sends a very powerful message across > and the best part is that it does not insist on you following it nor has it > anything to do with religion. Its about doing your duty with all the skill > and excelling in whichever field you are in. > > This is one thing that was deeply etched in my mind and I started evaluating > what is the course of action that best supports my objective of focusing on > my skills and that takes me towards excellence. After spending quite some > time contemplating of my sexual orientation, I finally agreed to get married. > My marriage was arranged and my wife comes from a good family with a > professional qualification like mine. The initial month was good in
Re: g_b Ashok Row Kavi says Gender Politics preventing Eunuchs from Voting
One sane voice amongst the drama of the season.. Yes! It is the vote that counts... On 20/04/2009, myonepe...@aol.com wrote: > > Aditya - > > There is who you are...and...what other people think you are.. > > My chelas all have voters IDs...and hopefully all of them will vote.. > > In India...there are no?districts that require?people to be of solely one > specified gender...to vote.. > > So...I would recommend all eunuchs to vote...no matter what they think that > other people and organizations?think they are.. > > It is the vote that counts.. > > Elizabeth > > > > > > > -Original Message- > From: Aditya Bondyopadhyay > Sent: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 5:04 pm > Subject: g_b Ashok Row Kavi says Gender Politics preventing Eunuchs from > Voting > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.sott.net/articles/show/182232-India-Eunuchs-avoid-polls-over-third-sex-dilemma > > ? > > India - Eunuchs avoid polls over 'third sex' dilemma > > NineMSN > Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:24 UTC > > ? > > India's one million eunuchs face a unique dilemma every election season - > do they stand in the men's or women's queue at polling stations or stay away > altogether? > > In the past, eunuchs - the term used for cross-dressers, pre- and > post-operative transsexuals known here as hijras - have largely abstained > from casting their ballots because they are unwilling to identify themselves > as male or female on voter registration forms. > > While some eunuchs do vote by listing themselves as female, many are > pushing for an alternative or "third sex" option on identity cards, after > being granted the franchise in 1994. > > Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a prominent eunuch activist and founder of NGO > Astitva, which works with sexual minorities, has never voted and refuses to > do so until there is a transgender option on identity cards. > > "It's the question of the identity of our whole community," she said. > > "In spite of so many years of independence we haven't got our own identity, > our own place in the constitution of India." > > Most eunuchs live on the outer fringes of society, ostracized and excluded > from decent job opportunities and reduced to begging at traffic junctions in > major cities or working in the sex trade. > > Despite the stigma surrounding them, a campaign to recognise eunuchs as a > third sex has yielded some results. > > They can now write "E" for eunuch on passports and on certain government > forms, but the quest for acceptance at the ballot box - where they have to > identify themselves as male or female - still eludes them in culturally > conservative India. > > "There has been quite a bit of progress so structurally the only thing that > comes in is gender politics," said Ashok Row Kavi, chairman of the Humsafar > Trust, a male sexual health NGO. > > Eunuchs who want to contest in elections for greater rights have come up > against similar problems, even though several have been elected to public > office as women. > > Last month India's election commission denied three eunuchs in the eastern > state of Orissa permission to run as candidates unless they identified > themselves as male or female. > > Pratap Sahu, president of the All-Orissa Eunuchs Association, which fielded > the candidates, said the unsuccessful bid had been a form of protest against > election authorities. > > "We wanted to fight the election on the third sex issue. In India nobody > has fought for this," he said. > > The relatively small number of eunuchs, compared to other minority groups, > means it is unlikely that any party deems them a priority vote bank, said > Anil Bairwal, national coordinator for the Association of Democratic > Reforms. > > "Whether it will be taken up or not - as far as our political parties are > concerned, the only language they understand is the language of numbers," he > said. > > Month-long general elections in the world's largest democracy began on > Thursday, with the last of five phases taking place on May 13. Results are > expected May 16. > > Agency France-Presse > > ? > > ? > > ? > > ? > > > > > > > Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic > > Messages > > BR>PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS GROUP DOES NOT CARRY ADULT PICTURES OR LURID > MATERIAL > > Would you like to join? Email to gay_bombay-subscr...@yahoogroups.com > > Or > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay/join";> > http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/yg/img/i/us/ui/join.gif"; > border="0" > ? alt="Click here to join gay_bombay">Click to join gay_bombay > < > > Google? Group > http://groups.google.com/group/Gaybombay > Public archives at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay%40yahoogroups.com/maillist.html > > Rss feed: > http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com/maillist.xml > > Email: modera...@gaybombay.in > > Web Sites: > www.gaybombay.in; > www.gaybombay.info; > www.gayindia.org; > > E Groups: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay > http://groups.google.com/group/Gaybombay > > Orkut: > http:/
g_b Humsafar Trust presents the first Marathi musical on homosexuality, ‘Offbeat’, on Sunday, 26 April 2
Hello All, Please feel free to forward/re-post on other groups. Cheers, Nitin 'Offfbeat' is the story of Mahesh who ‘comes out' to his grandmother. A grandmother who is reluctant to accept him. So, Mahesh convinces her to join him and his group, consisting of homosexual men, transsexuals, transgenders and hijras, to try to understand their issues. The play is the journey of Mahesh and his grandmother exploring sexuality. Despite the serious subject, the play is a comedy. It uses satire to poke fun at patriarchy and society's narrow vision of gender and sexuality. Zameer Kamble, Pune-based writer-director of the play, says, "For gay people, sexual orientation is a vital aspect of their identity. I wrote this play in order to bring about a level of acceptance and respect for members of the gay community. I hope ‘Offbeat' at least makes people sit up and think. Putting it together was in itself a struggle, as I had to find some good, brave actors and get the censor certificate, which alone took over a year. "Many gay people either become a laughing stock or face brutal reactions and lack of understanding, both at home and in society,” says Kamble. “This lowers their self esteem, makes them vulnerable to infections like HIV, and, in the extreme, forces them to commit suicide.” 'Offbeat' is also the first Marathi play to speak directly about the problems of homosexuals in India, from the social and legal perspective. Cast: Sagar Lodhi, Satish Sandbhor, Pravin and Sachin. Date of the show: Sunday, 26 April 2009, at 6 pm Venue details: Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, Dr.Bhalerao Marg, Khetwadi, Mumbai – 400 004. Nearest railway station: Charni Road (East) Landmark: St Teresa High School; 5 minutes walk from Charni Road station. Phone: 022-23856303, 022-23876158 Ticket rates: Rs 150, Rs 100, Rs 50. Tickets available from 24 April 2009 at the venue (Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh -- see address above).
g_b Thoughts from a married homosexual
Thoughts from a married homosexual I don't know where or when the posting (reproduced below) first appeared, but it is evidently by a man with homosexual yearnings in India. I think it represents the feelings of a lot of people who know they don't belong to the heterosexual world but cannot see any other world. I am a 38 year old guy and have spend a greater part of my life in Delhi, right since I was born, my education, my first job etc. I never had any real sexual experience with any guy till my first job, though I always fantasised myself having sex with some of the good looking guys in my class, getting pics from magazines such as Gladrags and shagging in the bathroom looking at those pics. I also spent a good amount of time cruising for guys in Andheri and Bandra railway stations when I was in Mumbai. It was a time when the internet had not caught on and you had a very decent crowd coming to these stations, that is now abound with touts. I also allowed myself to be probed by guys in crowded trains. Once the internet came in, then the means changed and the web became a new field for cruising. One thing I did observe in the gay community, whether it was in the stations or in the web, the focus was tremendously on sex. It all boiled down to ASL and stats in 99 % of the cases. I also got confused with this approach and the meaningfulness of the same and during the time I was also under pressure to get married. I was with a good organization, was very well qualified and had the advantage of good looks. Even today if I happen to chat, I say am 25 and am able to get along with that. In fact most of the guys I met who were in their mid 20s actually looked much older than me. Before I get into something else, let me come back to the issue of marriage that started troubling me. I spent long hours wondering on how to tackle this issue, I never came out in the open to my family. Even today I am not out. I had lengthy discussions with my elder brother on the significance of marriage and what it means to my life. I also had fears of sexual compatibility with my wife and how I intend to do justice to her and my kid in the future. I was also disillusioned with the gay world, not because it was not socially acceptable, but with the hollowness of the whole concept of adopting a gay life. I am also an avid reader of the Bhagwad Gita and must say that it's the mother of all books on modern thinking. And I must share with you that it's a book which is very practical today and sends a very powerful message across and the best part is that it does not insist on you following it nor has it anything to do with religion. Its about doing your duty with all the skill and excelling in whichever field you are in. This is one thing that was deeply etched in my mind and I started evaluating what is the course of action that best supports my objective of focusing on my skills and that takes me towards excellence. After spending quite some time contemplating of my sexual orientation, I finally agreed to get married. My marriage was arranged and my wife comes from a good family with a professional qualification like mine. The initial month was good in terms of sexual experiences and since I was indulging in sex with a woman for the first time, I myself was exploring and I did enjoy. After a month the novelty died down and the pressure of my work took on me. I must admit at this point of time that I was not sexually attracted to my wife and still used to fantasize about guys. I often "came" thinking about guys when I made love to my wife. The fact however is also this that though I never liked her sexually, I did love her, took care of her and always looked forward to being with her. I took her along with me for every assignment, though I had to incur huge amount of expenses in traveling and lodging. I remember being with hospitalized and how she spend those moments with me, at times she often fought with the doctors for me and often broke down in front of the doctors when they were not able to diagnose my illness. But she never shed a single tear in front of me. We then decided to have a kid, and again we spent a long time discussion on whether we should really have a kid, whether we are capable of giving it a meaningful life. We finally went ahead with our plans. All this time I always was wondering whether I should tell my wife about my sexuality. I had actually stopped going to the net and somehow the gay environment was sickening most of the time. I also wondered whether the kind of support that I got from my wife, being with me when I needed help the most and supporting me in my career, could these things have been achieved with a gay partner. I felt sex is just one of the binders in a relationship, it may be critical. But a relationship that is based purely on sexual orientation may actually end up in a disaster. Relationship or lets call it partnership is al
g_b Fwd: India, Caste system, and the Durban Review Conference
Dear All, This is a mail that I wrote in the SOGI listserve regarding the Durban Review Conference on Racism. It may not be directly about LGBT issues, but I feel it is pertinent, therefore I am posting it on this list. Best, Aditya B -- Forwarded message -- From: Aditya Bondyopadhyay Date: 2009/4/20 Subject: India, Caste system, and the Durban Review Conference To: sogi-l...@arc-international.net Dear All, Activists are often under pressure to 'fall in line' with the popular flavour of the day. There is merit in such conforming to activist agendas too, often meaning the difference between change and status-quo, arising from a united voice of opposition to something abhorrent. India is no exception. Indian Activists are no exception. I as an Indian activist am no exception. I have been following the various threads on this list and others about the Durban Review conference and the preparatory meetings in Geneva and other places on this list, on news channels, and other listserves. I have been silent on this topic, and did not want to stick my neck out. But increasingly I have this feeling that I must speak out about what I feel, for not doing so would be dishonest, and a disservice to India, a country that I love in spite of all its flaws and faults, a country that is certainly not perfect, and a country whose government and powers have certainly not escaped my very public ire and scorn when they have not lived up to expected standards in protecting people's rights. The pressure on Inida, renewed very recently by scandinevian countries, is to force the inclusion of the caste system within the aegis of racism. There is nothing whatsoever to gloat about the caste system and the millenea of oppression that it entailed for a majority of India's population. But to say that this system, which may in fact predate the very notion of racism, is in fact racism, can not be further from the truth. The Indian government is aware of the pitfalls of the caste system, and has taken most measures that are necessary to deal with its adverse fallout. Adequate laws have been enacted, and at least in government recruitment, caste discrimination has been reduced to an extent where there is now a backlash from the upper castes. Dalits have sat on the highest offices of the land, and we have recently had a dalit chief minister elected with absolute majority in India's most populated state. Much like anti-gay-discrimination laws does not mean the end to societal homophobia, having laws against caste based discrimination at the state level or in moderating public conduct does not at all mean that caste prejudice has been eliminated from the public mind. In fact the caste structures are so entrenched, that the one thing that motivate and guide most private social interactions is caste consideration. When I turned 13 my father made me go through the sacred thread ceremony of Brahmins, to help establish me on the top of the caste pile. I am yet to come across an inter caste marriage that makes the extended family happy. But what makes me happy and gives me hope is that the younger lot are increasingly going for such marriages, the family be damned. Effectively, what can be done has been done with utmost sincerity by the state, it is showing results, and the Indian state cannot be pilloried for something that it is not guilty of. Which brings me to the question of racism. This is one area where India can absolutely be proud of its historical conduct and record. We did not at any time in the past, nor do we at present, suffer racism. People from all persecuted quarters have come and found a home in India. Zoroastrainism died in its place of birth Iran, but survived in India because Parsis found a home here. Jews settled in India between the 9th to 11th centuries in the malabar, and were never persecuted. When Spain was expelling Jews and Morocco was culling them, the Jews of India formed one of the msot prosperous communities of India. A second lot of Jews settled from Armenia in Bengal in the 18th-19th century and lived and prospered happily. the only lost tribe of Israel ever found was in the northeast of India, in Mizoram, after 3 millenium of happy living, speaking their own language and worshiping their own gods. Aryans, Greeks, Saks, Huns, Kushans, Pathans, Mongols, Turksmens, Parsis, Jews, Khemers, Uzbeks, East Africans, Arabs, Malays, and Chinese have settled and prospered in India and have never been persecuted. India had it in itself to absorb all these and make them part of the Indian fabric. And the funny thing is that the caste system is one reason why all these people were left to their own devices and never bothered. The insularity of the caste system meant that any outsider was never a social threat. Everyone, within the confines of their social structures and systems were free to be whoever they wanted to be. I think that to bring in caste to try and pillory India on racism is totally mispl
g_b an appeal
This does not pertain to the basic identity or the theme of the group but in a way this would go to prove that we are a major part of the society and that we do care. Please help in whatever way you can Hope you're doing great and having a lovely weekend. I am just writing to request help for Mr. Ramani. He is a 40 year-old architect, husband and father who was diagnosed with leukemia some 4 months back. A bone marrow match could not be found within the family, so they have had to pursue a much more expensive line of treatment. After having exhausted all their savings and selling off all their material possessions, Alpa, Ramani's wife, is now totally relying on the generosity of other people now to help her husband get a new lease of life. Ramani had to leave a great job in Dubai and move base to Mumbai for the treatment (they are originally from Nagpur). I was wondering if you guys can please help the family and donate cash or donate online through www.helpramani.org The website has all the details, including email, numbers in Mumbai, pictures and medical reports (just so sceptics know it's not another hoax!!). It has all details of the modes of payment and contact numbers in Mumbai. Every rupee will help this family right now, no contribution is too small!. Thanks for listening, and keeping Ramani in your thoughts and prayers little prince-Sanjay N Lulla
Re: g_b Ashok Row Kavi says Gender Politics preventing Eunuchs from Voting
Aditya - There is who you are...and...what other people think you are.. My chelas all have voters IDs...and hopefully all of them will vote.. In India...there are no?districts that require?people to be of solely one specified gender...to vote.. So...I would recommend all eunuchs to vote...no matter what they think that other people and organizations?think they are.. It is the vote that counts.. Elizabeth -Original Message- From: Aditya Bondyopadhyay Sent: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 5:04 pm Subject: g_b Ashok Row Kavi says Gender Politics preventing Eunuchs from Voting http://www.sott.net/articles/show/182232-India-Eunuchs-avoid-polls-over-third-sex-dilemma ? India - Eunuchs avoid polls over 'third sex' dilemma NineMSN Sun, 19 Apr 2009 13:24 UTC ? India's one million eunuchs face a unique dilemma every election season - do they stand in the men's or women's queue at polling stations or stay away altogether? In the past, eunuchs - the term used for cross-dressers, pre- and post-operative transsexuals known here as hijras - have largely abstained from casting their ballots because they are unwilling to identify themselves as male or female on voter registration forms. While some eunuchs do vote by listing themselves as female, many are pushing for an alternative or "third sex" option on identity cards, after being granted the franchise in 1994. Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a prominent eunuch activist and founder of NGO Astitva, which works with sexual minorities, has never voted and refuses to do so until there is a transgender option on identity cards. "It's the question of the identity of our whole community," she said. "In spite of so many years of independence we haven't got our own identity, our own place in the constitution of India." Most eunuchs live on the outer fringes of society, ostracized and excluded from decent job opportunities and reduced to begging at traffic junctions in major cities or working in the sex trade. Despite the stigma surrounding them, a campaign to recognise eunuchs as a third sex has yielded some results. They can now write "E" for eunuch on passports and on certain government forms, but the quest for acceptance at the ballot box - where they have to identify themselves as male or female - still eludes them in culturally conservative India. "There has been quite a bit of progress so structurally the only thing that comes in is gender politics," said Ashok Row Kavi, chairman of the Humsafar Trust, a male sexual health NGO. Eunuchs who want to contest in elections for greater rights have come up against similar problems, even though several have been elected to public office as women. Last month India's election commission denied three eunuchs in the eastern state of Orissa permission to run as candidates unless they identified themselves as male or female. Pratap Sahu, president of the All-Orissa Eunuchs Association, which fielded the candidates, said the unsuccessful bid had been a form of protest against election authorities. "We wanted to fight the election on the third sex issue. In India nobody has fought for this," he said. The relatively small number of eunuchs, compared to other minority groups, means it is unlikely that any party deems them a priority vote bank, said Anil Bairwal, national coordinator for the Association of Democratic Reforms. "Whether it will be taken up or not - as far as our political parties are concerned, the only language they understand is the language of numbers," he said. Month-long general elections in the world's largest democracy began on Thursday, with the last of five phases taking place on May 13. Results are expected May 16. Agency France-Presse ? ? ? ? Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages BR>PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS GROUP DOES NOT CARRY ADULT PICTURES OR LURID MATERIAL Would you like to join? Email to gay_bombay-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay/join";> http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/yg/img/i/us/ui/join.gif"; border="0" ? alt="Click here to join gay_bombay">Click to join gay_bombay < Google? Group http://groups.google.com/group/Gaybombay Public archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay%40yahoogroups.com/maillist.html Rss feed: http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com/maillist.xml Email: modera...@gaybombay.in Web Sites: www.gaybombay.in; www.gaybombay.info; www.gayindia.org; E Groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay http://groups.google.com/group/Gaybombay Orkut: http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Community.aspx?cmm=22091955 Blogs: http://gaybombay.blogspot.com http://gaybombay.wordpress.com Twitter http://twitter.com/gaybombay MARKETPLACE I'm happy I lost my Job. Now I make $12,000/mo online! See how I do it: WealthResource.org. Mortgage rates hit record lows! $133,000 mortgage for $679/mo. Calculate pay
g_b NO GAYS, SAYS SOCIETY
NO GAYS, SAYS SOCIETY Dr. Neelam Verma Of late, a number of Western countries have accepted homosexual behaviour in individuals and they are no longer discriminated against. In India, people tend to avoid talk of sex or homosexuality, yet it does not mean that it is not prevalent. Naveen is a disturbed man. While his family was insisting that he should marry and settle down , he was sure he wouldn't be happy with a woman and lead a normal life. For, he was a homosexual and secretly met male friends. But he was also ashamed about his abnormal trait and did not want the family to know his preference for a male. His is a typical case that worries thousands of gays in the Indian society. India is the world’s largest democracy, yet its laws remain as outdated as ever. Indian laws are still governed by the British Raj which introduced colonial laws in India and other colonised countries in that period. However, though many laws have been amended, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code still needs amendment and of late has been challenged by voluntary organisations. According to Section 377, gay sex is illegal, but lesbian sex is not mentioned. Homosexuality is punishable under the provisions and the offence is called sodomy. There has been no change with regard to the concept of this offence and its administration by the Indian courts. The law says that "Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature, with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine." Penetration is sufficient to constitute carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section. The form of homosexuality, which is reported either by the police or society, is generally related to use of force by the one over the other, though even if there was consent of any of the partners, the offence is not mitigated. It is considered to be an offence against society, therefore, the legal system is obliged to punish all those who are proved to have indulged in it for correctional purposes. It is due to the prevalence of such laws that many gays in India are ostracised in society, blackmailed by those who stumble upon their sexual behaviour, either family or neighbours or prying relatives, etc. They are thrown out of jobs, too. Of late, a number of Western countries have accepted homosexual behaviour in individuals and they are no longer discriminated against, unlike in India. In an attempt to bring some semblance of respect for homosexuals, a voluntary organisation working for AIDS awareness, Naz, has filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court challenging the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminally penalises what is termed as "unnatural offences", in so far as the provision affects private sexual acts between consenting adults. Says Shaleen Rakesh of Naz, who works with MSM or gay men who have sex with men: "Our main work is with a section of men who are vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS. During the process of our work, we discovered that the best way is to promote respect and protect human rights of vulnerable populations, especially the MSM community. For that, we need to change the draconian Section 377 as it is an infringement of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India." The petition states that Section 377 is meant to criminalise sexual acts, which are against the order of nature. This provision is based upon traditional Judeo-Christian moral and ethical standards which conceive of sex in purely functional terms, that is for the purpose of procreation only. A non-procreative sexual activity is thus viewed as being against the order of nature. Since homosexual behaviour is a crime under the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, therefore, organisations of homosexuals are not permitted as legal bodies. However, in Mumbai and Delhi, there are groups that hang out together. There have been demonstrations outside the office of the World Health O
