For India’s LGBTQ population, decriminalizing homosexuality is a step in the right direction.

The Supreme Court issued a ruling on 377 Section, which decriminalized homosexuality in India, on September 6, 2018.

In decriminalizing homosexuality, India joined a group of 25 other countries. India has thus taken a step towards becoming a society that values equality and inclusion.

According to polls, same-sex relationships are becoming more accepted in India.

Evidence of Homosexuality in India throughout history.

The decriminalization of Section 377 has brought India before to its cultural roots, to a period when love was embraced and cherished in all of its forms, contrary to common belief, according to historians and mythology specialists. From Hindu Scriptures to Muslim writings, and who can pass over the vivid evidence on great old structures like the temples of Khajuraho, there is a wealth of historical proof that homosexuality existed in India in the past.

Vedic tradition acknowledges homosexual relationships.

Amara Das Wilhelm’s book “Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex” summarizes years of study of Sanskrit content from medieval and ancient India. These texts show that homosexuals and the “third gender” were not only present but also widely accepted at the time.

The book, which cities from the “Purushayita” Chapter of the new ancient Hindu text known as the Kama Sutra, refers to lesbians as “Swarinis.” These women gave birth to children and were frequently married to other women. They were also readily official by both the “third gender” group and the general public. The book also discussed gay men, also referred to as “Klibas,” who, although they may also be described as impotent men, were mainly portrayed as males who, due to their “homosexual tendencies,” were ineffective with women.

India’s Pride Movement’s History 

The LGBTQ fight in India began in the first decade of the 1990s. LGBTQ individuals fought for their right to the same liberties as a heterosexual partners even after India attained independence. Human rights breaches against the queer community are being caused by the terrible legacy of British law that is taking hold.

Following the history of the movement, the first protest for LGBT rights was held in 1992, on August 11, 45 years after India gained its freedom. To protest the arrest of men from Connaught Place’s Central Park on grounds of homosexuality, the AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan, a well-known organization at the time, organized the demonstration in a veneer of Delhi police headquarters by stopping up its entry.

The first Dignity Parade in India was a manifestation of liberation and uprising.

In 1999, Kolkata, India, played host to the country’s inaugural Gay Pride Parade. With just 15 participants, Calcutta Rainbow Pride delivered a long-needed message to the entire nation: it’s okay to be queer and proud. The same year, the Delhi-based organization (Campaign for Lesbian Rights) CALERI published a manifesto titled “Lesbian Emergence” that sought to start a discussion on lesbians’ lives because, according to CALERI, they were much more marginalized than LGBT males.

Current issues facing India’s LGBTQ community include:

• Even while additionally people are understanding and welcoming of those whose sexual orientation differs from the majority, these individuals nonetheless frequently endure abuse and societal shame.

• Even though homosexuality is no longer a crime, same-sex unions are nonetheless illegal in India. Gay, Bisexual, and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Transgender & Queer) communities will encounter legal challenges when adopting children and leaving property to their adopted children as an inheritance, among other things, as long as same-sex marriages are given legal recognition. Most importantly, the legal recognition of same-sex unions will foster a sense of equality among all couples.

• Extremist religious groups are opposed to same-sex marriages and frequently cause problems for the LGBTQ society. Many of these religious fundamentalists are unaware that homophobia, or prejudice against homosexuals, was not present in India until the British arrived. Under British rule, Section 377, which makes homosexuality illegal, was implemented in India.

Conclusion 

The fact that India has decriminalized homosexuality, at last is a triumph for everyone. But there is still a long way to go before the community of LGBTQ  in India has full equality and acceptance.