Ari Kewalramani's List: JP GLBT Rights

• The Alaska Supreme Court determined in 2006 that, despite the constitutional  amendment declaring marriage between a man and a women, the state could not deny  health care and retiree benefits to partners of state employees who were in a  committed same sex relationship. The legislature passed a law forbidding the  executive to give such benefits. Governor Palin vetoed the law based on the  advice of the Alaska Attorney General that the law was unconstitutional and a  direct afront to the Alaska Supreme Court Decision. However, she indicated that  she did not support giving these basic benefits to same sex couples.
  Source:  Anchorage Daily News, 2006

  • alaska and palin

• The final hearings of the case in the Delhi High Court to decriminalise  homosexuality and repeal Section 377 of the IPC are over and now the judgment is  awaited. In spite of Ramadoss's very forthright public statement, Government of  India adopted a very retrograde position on this arguing homosexuality is a  'disease'. Pragoti demands that this archaic, discriminatory and undemocratic  law be repealed and that the Indian State stop interfering in consensual  relationships between adults and persecuting people on the basis of their sexual  orientation.

  • government acts to repeal section 377 of ipc

• There are 2.5 million male homosexuals in India according to National AIDS  Control Organization (NACO) estimation.^[1]  Public discussion

  • statistic of how many homosexuals there are in India

• The main reason was to abolish the Section 377 of the Indian penal code which  outlaws "unnatural sexual offences" and theoretically punishes anal or oral sex  with up to 10 years in prison, it was established by the British in the 19th  century.
  

  • Reason for parade
• The community also demanded an apology from the  British for creating the law putting together facts that the earlier Hindu,  Muslim and Buddhist communities were much more compassionate to same sex  relationships than the British who exported homophobia during the 19th century  when they enforced their Victorian laws and morals here.

  • British rule
• But more importantly Vikram Doctor, one of the parade organizers, said, "It's  the fear of the law that matters more than the law itself. It's a blackmail  racket." It is common for the local law enforcers to extort money on these basis  here in India.
  

  • quote
• Organizers expected around 200 people to turn out in support, but over 500  people pleasantly surprised not only the organizers but the onlookers who were  given pamphlets and rainbow flags.

  • how many peoplepp
• Rainbow cloaked marchers chanted slogans like "Closets are for clothes" in  Hindi, Gujarati and English. They sang, danced and played drums as people  watched from sidewalks and balconies.
  

  • description

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• In the last few years, thanks to a booming economy, the queer culture in  Mumbai is gradually making its way above ground. Of course, don't expect, gay  discos sporting the rainbow flag yet, but for those looking to get a taste of  the queer culture here's a low down.

  • Coming out of the closet
• Saturday nights are unofficially gay nights at this discotheque in Colaba for  decades. Ignore the brightly dressed women  looking for clients, the  dance floor is crowded with yuppies grooving to Bollywood tracks.
  Address:  2/5, Kamaal Mansion, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, Telephone: 022-22841959 Nearest  Railway station (Churchgate, Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus)

  • GLBT nights
• A gay group, GB organises parties at least once a fortnight on Saturdays. Check  www.gaybombay.org for dates and venues.

  • Group for gay
• One of the newer groups, its parties on Saturdays are officially free of  the popular ``Bollywood music''. Check its website http://www.salvationstar.com/nodes/home
• Homosexuality is a crime under Indian law.  Though there have been hardly  few convictions under this law (section 377 of the Indian Penal Code), it  has been used to blackmail and extort money from LGBT persons. 

  • Blackmail for GLBTS
• Recently, there have been cases of police personnel who have been involved  in running such rackets. If you are being targeted, contact your embassy or the  NGOs mentioned above for help.

  • Cases of ragging

• It is not uncommon to see men walk hand in hand in the city,  some even resting their heads on the others shoulders. Never assume  that they are gay - Indians are a very physical people. Holding your partner's  hand on the street may not raise an eyebrow, but public displays of affection  are a strict No! Indians are still conservative, and even a kiss between a  man and and a woman on the street is likely to be frowned upon.  

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• Homosexuality can be described as the attraction or sexual  relations between members of the same sex. At times, even the sexual orientation  of such people is called ‘homosexuality’ only and they, themselves, are known as  ‘homosexuals’. Though in the western countries homosexuality is not a  big issue, it is still considered as a taboo in India. The society, the law as  well as the government of the country have failed to recognize it as a normal  phenomenon and even today, open discussion on such a topic is a big no-no.  

  • It says that homosexuality is not a big deal in western countries. In fact the other day in a newspaper the title of the article was "Sanyal pleges to work for queer rights."
• Section 377 of the IPC states that ‘Whosoever has carnal  intercourse voluntarily against the order of nature with any man, woman or  animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for a term  which may extend to 10 years, and shall be liable to fine’.

  • illegal acts because of un-opneness
• • Law Agaisnt GLBTs
• • Where it came from was 1860 during the BritishRaj.

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