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India’s journey toward inclusivity and equality is ongoing, and every step forward brings the country closer to a future where all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, can live with dignity and pride.
A 38-year-old painter from Bengaluru recounts a chilling interaction with his paternal uncle who threatened to kill him if he were his son.
Such accounts reveal the intimate nature of violence, often originating from familial and close social circles, making the trauma even more profound and psychologically devastating.
Many incidents of violence go unreported due to fear of familial intervention or potential police harassment, however, creating a cycle of silence and continued oppression.
Socio-economic factors play a significant role in the vulnerability of MSM.
Men from low-income families, those working in pink-collar jobs (beauticians, sales representatives, and hospitality workers, for example), and those belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities face disproportionately higher risks of sexual violence.
The researchers also critically examine media representation, arguing that stereotypical portrayals of gay men as effeminate characters primarily used for comic relief have potentially normalised verbal ridicule and contributed to escalating violence, particularly against younger individuals.
@skynews More than 2,000 people have taken to the streets of #NewDelhi to dance, sing and cheer in a #pride#parade held in #India♬ original sound – Sky News
The study also found that men who are predominantly receptive during intercourse (bottoming) are more exposed to sexual violence, underscoring the intricate power dynamics and systemic vulnerabilities that exist in and outside of the community.
More broadly, the research proves that decriminalisation, while crucial, is merely a first step.
True protection requires a comprehensive social transformation that challenges ingrained prejudice, promotes education, and creates supportive and respectful ecosystems.
The study serves as a powerful call to action for policymakers, activists, and society at large.
It demands a genuine commitment to understanding and respecting sexual diversity and reflects how urgently India needs to dismantle systemic discrimination to bring about a more inclusive, empathetic society that protects the rights and dignity of all its citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.
Sahil Pradhan
Remote WriterDelhi, India
Sahil (they/them) is a remote writer for Thred and an economics undergraduate in India.
Despite obstacles, India's activists and allies persist in advancing LGBTQ+ equality.
Rishi Dastidar in The Guardian:
Santanu Bhattacharya turned heads with his 2023 debut novel One Small Voice, which intertwines the personal fallout after a boy watches a mob burn a Muslim man with a panoramic survey of how modern Indian society is changing – buckling, almost – with the rise of Hindu nationalism as its dominant ideology.
Based on global research and estimates:
In 2009, Delhi and Bangalore held their first pride parades. Rather than feeling gimmicky, this gives his voice an attractive and vivacious quality, as he revels in the freedom he has online to hook up, to exist on the wild frontiers of contemporary sexuality, where one can be “heteroflexible, homoflexible, objectumsexual, omnisexual, skoliosexual, bi-curious”.
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While exact figures are difficult to determine due to stigma, societal pressures, and limited research, there are estimates and studies that shed light on the size and experiences of the gay community in India.
This article explores the demographics, challenges, and progress of LGBTQ+ individuals in India, with a focus on gay men and women.
India’s population, as of 2023, exceeds 1.4 billion, making it the most populous country in the world.
For now, India's gay scene continues to gain acceptance, especially in metropolitan hubs. This landmark decision:
Bollywood is also embracing queer storylines, from "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan" to acclaimed series like "Made in Heaven".
In 1996, "Fire" became the first Indian film on homosexuality. When not delving into complex societal challenges, Sahil grapples with their ever-expanding library of unread books – a collection that grows faster than their ability to tackle it.
While India's Supreme Court recently dismissed petitions to legalize same-sex marriage, the country is slowly becoming more accepting of LGBTQ identities.
It marked him out as a novelist able to tell the biggest of stories with the most precise and haunting of details.
His follow-up, Deviants, is even more ambitious. And in 2014, India saw its first transgender mayor elected in Raigarh. Experience the welcoming spirit of LGBTQ groups and supportive allies when visiting the country's cosmopolitan cities.
Section 377 may have recriminalized gay sex, but India's LGBTQ+ community continues making strides.
This legal history has contributed to a culture of silence around LGBTQ+ identities.
In September 2018, the Indian Supreme Court decriminalized consensual same-sex relationships by striking down parts of Section 377. It tracks how India’s attitudes to homosexuality have shifted over the past 50 years, by following the lives of three gay men in the same family: Vivaan, a 17-year-old who can pass for 21 on dating apps; his uncle, nicknamed Mambro, growing up in the mid-1990s; and Sukumar, his great-uncle (or grand-mamu, and Mambro’s uncle), whom we meet in 1977, fitfully studying commerce in Kolkata.
Vivaan’s story is written as if dictated via voicenote: apt, as he lives and studies in the “Silicon Plateau” of Bengaluru, India’s hi-tech centre.
Gay nightlife is blossoming, from clubs to cruising spots.
Despite the legal setback, LGBTQ activists remain hopeful for greater rights and visibility in the future. Though public attitudes still have a ways to go, vibrant gay communities can be found in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata.
India, with its vast and diverse population, is home to millions of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, including those who are gay.