Mindset
against Gay community
24 Nov 2007- India- It's an
issue that has been surrounded by controversy for generations and while
activists fight for gay rights and demand that homosexuality be
legalised, a TIMES NOW Hansa poll reveals that even urban Indians are
far from accepting the gay community into mainstream society.
They've been portrayed in numerous movies, playing protagonist many a
time but in reality how accepting is urban India of homosexuals? The
TIMES NOW Hansa poll reveals the following startling facts:
That 75% of respondents in the eight-city poll feel homosexuality
shouldn't not be legalised in India,
That most vociferous voices come from Hyderabad, Bangalore and
Chandigarh with 100%, 98% and 86% respondents against homosexuality
being legalised. Mumbai is not far behind either with 84% Mumbaiites
against homosexuality being legalised.
But the issue is not just about legality, it is a matter of mindset -
89% respondents admit their attitude towards a person changes once learn
that he or she is a homosexual.
This is especially true for men; 93% say their behaviour has changed,
whereas a slightly lower percentage - 83% - women admit to a change in
attitude when they learn their friend or colleague is a homosexual.
Harish Iyer should know - when he, a copy writer by profesison, was
still in college, his classmates gave him a harrowing time after they
discovered his sexual orientation.
"I had graffiti written on my notebooks, my desk in college saying 'for
Gay sex contact Harish'," he recalls.
This is in fact, corroborated in the poll which shows that 48% urban
Indians admit they deliberately stay away from homosexuals and this is
especially true among men - more than half, or 55% percent men are
homophobes.
And while most men were unwilling to admit it on camera for the fear of
being politically incorrect, some like Aftab were very blunt.
"I don't like random people touching me. That is pretty much what
homophobia is. It takes me a while to a hug a guy... Lesbianism yes, I
have serious problems with that," he says.
On the face of it the urban India may seem the liberal who takes part in
protest marches for legalising homosexuality and has many a debate on
gay rights - but the truth is out and the fact is that we are not yet
ready to accept homosexuality as part of our society yet. |
