The High Court in Delhi today decriminalised homosexuality to consenting males over 21. It doesn´t seem to have included lesbians. This overturns a 148 year old ruling claiming homosexuality as “unnatural” in article 377 of India´s Penal Code. It defines homosexual acts as "carnal intercourse against the order of nature."
Prior to this ruling, homosexual acts were punishable by a 10-year prison sentence.
With classic Indian love of bureaucracy (a left-over from it´s Colonial past), it has taken eight years to come through the legal process, and it is seen as likely that an appeal will be launched to the Supreme Court.
In a country where traditional social and gender roles remain conservative, even heterosexual relationships between young Indians is still frowned upon. This has led many young Indian males to have very tactile relationships with each other. It is common to see to young Indian guys holding hands and/or hugging each other. It is not uncommon to see a hand caressing an ass or groin - especially notable in Indian yuppies on trains.
In what is now fashionably termed bromance in the West, this is not always a platonic relationship, although the two consenting males would be very unlikely to deem this as homosexual activity, “just something young healthy guys do”.
It is believed that 8% of gay Indian males are HIV+
"Bromance"! Great neologism. Our good friends the Pakistanis get rather "bromantic" at times too. Being the focus of 'bromantic' attentions can be disgruntling for some naive Westerners.
ReplyDeleteGood news that India is becoming more liberal sexually.
Indeed both our Pakistan and Afghanistan "brothers" are up for this.
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