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Finally, the Sun has begun to rise



As the news broke that the Delhi High Court has legalized homosexuality, I tried hard to maintain my outward calm of a reporter. Our tribe is not supposed to get ecstatic or heartbroken no matter what’s the breaking news. So here I was in the HT City newsroom, trying to file a page 1 story as if it was just a story. But when I called gay and lesbian friends who were present in the court, asking them for newspaper quotes, I couldn’t help wishing: “God, I should’ve been at ground zero!”

As I heard their thrilled voices, as I noted down their words on my pad, a thrill ran up my spinal chord, into my brains. It made my heady dizzy and fingers tremble.

Could this be true? After all, this is India. Gay people are a minority so strange that they have no caste, no religion, no race. They are not even untouchables. They are just not supposed to exist. But now, will that black shroud that cover them disappear? Will that refusal to ’see’ them finally begin to end with this judgment? Will the invisible people become visible? Will they finally be muggles like everyone else?

A court order will not change social taboos overnight. Your parents may still not easily accept your gay sexuality. Your siblings may still be embarrassed about you. Your colleagues at work may still snigger at your back. Strangers may still show disgust. Some may even dare to ask, “But just what do you do in bed?” or “Who plays what?”

Don’t be fooled. Not much will change by next week, next month, next year. Some of you would still be red-faced while asking for man-to-man porn DVDs in Palika Bazaar. Some of you would still secretly search for gay support groups in Delhi. But by God, the sun has begun to rise.

Of course, you know you are normal but let’s face it, how desperately you wish muggles to accept your normal-ness. How fervently you want Bollywood to have a man running around trees with another man. I know how thrilled you were to see Abhishek Bachchan wooing John Abraham in Dostana.

Who knows if that might happen in our lifetime but yes, today we got our Freedom at Midmorning. Tomorrow again they gay people would have the usual discomforts. The same crushed-looking parents, the same dark musty closet, the same discreet cruising in shadowy places, the same Tuesday nights at Pegs ‘n’ Pints. But maybe, one day, their love, too will become simple and straight.

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Posted by Mayank Austen Soofi on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 2:04 pm 
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  • Rahul

    I appreciate the stand of the honourable high court to allow freedom to every adult individual to have consensual relationship but this has moral & social aspects as well.
    If this verdict allows consensual intercourse between two adults as their human right,then even such act between unmarried couples,married having extra marital affairs & prostitution might seek favourable judgements in future.Can any legal authority clarify such fine lines of this verdict for the proper understanding of common public?Ofcourse according to nature homosexuality is absurd though civilised mankind gives liberty these days for such relations but its a sick choice & such tendancies should undergo psychological councelling before these gays or lesbians get in to a legal marriage.Please donot misunderstand that I consider homo as insane but this issue can be addressed by scientific & rational means.I wonder how a homosexual define sexual perversion???

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    raj Reply:
    July 2nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    what a shame I hope somebody challanges this idiotic decission in supreme court and may the SC turn it down, how can you make something legal which is not natural, by this decission this will mean that gays will have same right as married couples then what will be defination of marriage, suppose they adopt child so who will act as mother and who will be father, this time court has crossed all the limits I have no idea on which basis this decission has been made but it is worst decission, tomorrow these so called gays will ask for reservation also and then also it will be approved.

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    KULDIP Reply:
    July 4th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    wake up. how can you describe it as unnatural. Do you think that activity of sex is preformed on to reproduce. if a gay couple decide to get married it is for them to decide whose will be father or mother ? Does it matter who is the father? i think you are unwanted worried no their asking resveration? it purly some one on decission to have a sex life they way they want. if india can have reservations for economically weaker section, backward section then why not for agy.

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  • Dinesh Singh

    Hi Mayank,

    This was so nice to read….. I agree with all you wrote and i could actually fell what you wrote.

    Good Work for the thought u shared.

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  • sachin

    India get ready for child poronography, male prostitution and all the evils west is suffering even catholic church doesnt endure gay or lesbians.

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    Vinayak Reply:
    July 2nd, 2009 at 7:28 pm

    I don’t think that the LGBT activists would support them in the long run. Most of these so called saviours are aiming a media projection.

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    atul Reply:
    July 3rd, 2009 at 3:02 pm

    sorry to show up again!
    as for bollywood elites,be it karan johar or celine jaitly or whoever…..they don’t set or define indian culture,moral values
    out of 1.1 billion, the poor class, the middle class, the rich class define the indian society which is 99% ppl and not one shown on t.v as the propaganda machine which is less than 1%.

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  • Ankita

    I buy your point that their love will be accepted. I completely believe that some day homosexuality too will become acceptable like love marriages and intercaste marriages which once created similar kind of hype in the society. But before it’s considered straight there’s still a long way to go.

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    vikram Reply:
    July 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm

    I think it is time to decriminalize this but it should not be legalized. No marriage – but ya legal unions, no adoption but ya right to inheritance. and certainly no need to go overboard and ‘educate’ kids in schools that it is ok to ‘develop’ such tendencies. and a definate ban on any lewd conduct in the streets and pride parades like some western countries.

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  • Neha

    “God is this happening…?” were the words ringing in my head when i heard the news yesterday. It took a long time for this fact to sink in and I just kept praying and thanking all the while. Finally, my country has stepped up and took a radical decision of legalising homosexuality, thereby banishing conservative and irrational thoughts people hold about this subject. My heart is all swelled up with pride and jubilation.
    Just want to say Mayank that I, like you, am very happy.

    PS: All those people who consider homosexuality a disease, guys, you really need to check the facts! Because everytime you say it’s unnatural, you’re just dismissing years of research, studies and scientific facts on a blind basis.

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  • atul chopra

    i have lived in u.s for last 18 yrs and have seen the kind of liberal gay phenomena that has distorted the youth.In wash d.c ,new york and in southern california where literally gay communities reside and demonstrate their pride on gay pride day, the 12-14 year old think it is COOL to be gay. they like bi-sexual mindset with do what feels good .In california there is a case in courts (proposition 8) to change definition of marriage to btwn two ppl as oppose to union btwn man and woman.Have we ever seen or heard 2 male dogs or female dogs having sex or any other animals or birds.friends this court decision in india is not the end but start of liberal cancer in indian society.What next this gay community is going to make their agenda,keep watching…
    If gays think they are a minority community and want legal protection and want to have legal sex,i have a suggestion,
    take all the gays and lesbians of india ,give them an island in indian ocean,let all gay men have sex with each other and lesbian women have sex with each other.since there will only be same-sex as they claim.Contact the island after 100 yrs,u will find no human being left on the island.THE moral of the story, this procreation process of life is what creates the next generation of society, which has been the seed of human race from the time of existence.In america and europe, u can see how men are getting feminised(u know the cute,sensitive one) and women have no feminity left in them,which is suppose to be the strength of a female.All they wanna look is sexy and show maximum body parts permitted under law and that bar is going down with time.
    its not just legal but there is also a moral,social,cultural side to all of this.plz get over ths mentality,do what feels good…its a very slippery slope which eventually puts the society in a ditch of temptations.

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  • atul chopra

    HT,
    my earlier blog was not at all radical,if u r a sincere journalist blog ,plz post it and not take it off.
    thank you.

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  • D10

    I think you have made your point perfectly. The decision is to be welcomed. In fact, I feel it marks a high point in our judicial discourse to see such a well-reasoned decision. At the same time, at the ground level, it will be long before things change noticeably for homosexual people. The road to legality and acceptance is a long one, but this is a start in that direction. What this decision does in fact allow, is for homosexuals to feel free and be able to at least say, ‘Being gay is not a crime!’ :)

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  • Richard

    The High Court decision has shocked the Indian Society. A ‘disorder’ or a ‘mental trauma’ like Homosexuality cannot be legalised at all. Though it is a very important step to decriminalise it. We as a society need to understand the psychological behaviour of the ‘homosexuals’ and help them get better after proper medical/psychological help.

    ‘Homosexuality’ is in reality a sexual aberration. It signifies the emotional instability of the individuals who practice it. Homosexuality, symbolises a disintegrating social structure of the human species.

    In India, ‘Pedophiles’ are more natural compared to homosexuals. Thus, there is no question of completely repealing Section 377 IPC. The High Court has given a vague judgement approving Gay Sex. In last five years, almost 400 cases under Section 37 IPC have been registered in Delhi alone, ninety percent of them being of child abuse by adults. This is the only section which is slapped against those ‘retards’.

    It isn’t just the Indian society, but larger religions like Christianity, Islam and Hinduism which strongly disapprove of ‘Homosexuality’. Homosexuality is condemned as sinful in the Bible, both New Testament and Old Testament. Though they fuly respect the sentiments of such people, and are ready to help them cure this disorder. Homosexuals are just like any other Human Beings, hence they have Right to life and equality.

    Homosexulity doesn’t come biologically, it begins in the mind, hence psychological in nature. It isn’t natural in any manner. Lets hope sane voices with logic will move against this verdict of the High Court and a mark would be set forever.

    Anita Bryant rightly says, “If Homosexuality was the normal way, God would have made Adam and Bruce”.

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  • Rugger

    Has anyone thought that this could actually be the answer to India’s ever growing population ?? Imagine millions of gay couples everywhere in India. That will definitely bring the increase in the rate of population growth down… TRUE???

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  • KULDIP

    simply with judgment thing will not change till social awareness is created. i will like to meet a man or woman declaring at the age of say sixty that he or she is gay. Before coming out closet they have to answer the question as to how my children or that matter my grandchildren will react. just forget about other peoples reaction.

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