Despite being included as an “unnatural offence” in Section 377 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) introduced way back in 1861 during the British raj, homosexuality is no longer a crime in India as pronounced by the Supreme Court in a historic judgment last year. According to Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, every human being has the right to life and personal liberty with dignity, which means there should be no discrimination on ground of sex and sexual orientation. Any citizen of India, whether male, female, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), should have equal rights in society, as ruled by the Supreme Court. Though being LGBT is not criminal, still there is a general reluctance to recognize them as a part of our society and culture. They can’t take part freely in social occasions and face discrimination if not hidden bans in many fields. In many parts of the country, LGBT people fear to disclose their identity. This is true in Assam as well where LGBT people are often deprived of their rights and sought to be kept socially invisible. We should accept the LGBT community with open arms and because they are also non-separable parts of society. They have rights to be treated equally to those of other citizen. The Government of India has been making provisions since a 2014 landmark Supreme Court ruling for official recognition to people of the ‘third gender’. Human sexuality is complex and diverse, so we need to focus on people’s humanity rather than on their sexual orientation. As for those who are LGBT, they need not be afraid of being different, neither should they be apologetic for who they are, rather they should be blessed.
Akali Sema,
Cotton University.