World | India
Relief and pain in Bangalore
Delhi High Court's verdict gives hope to sexual minorities after years of suffering.
- IANS
- Published: 23:26 July 3, 2009
Bangalore: As they celebrate the Delhi High Court's verdict decriminalising gay sex, there is relief among Bangalore's sexual minorities. But there is pain, too, as the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community recounts stories of suffering and discrimination over the years.
"When I first told my educated parents about existence of a man in my life, whom I wanted to marry, my father asked me to leave home. Homeless and traumatised, I left Bangalore and did odd jobs in Delhi," said a teary eyed Praveen Kumar (name changed on request).
"After years of spending a lonely life, my father called me back to Bangalore. They have accepted me the way I am," said Kumar, 35, who is working as a content writer with a web portal in Bangalore.
If Kumar was forced to leave his home, Divya was severely beaten in her small neighbourhood in the city, when existence of her girlfriend came into light some eight years back.
"I was a college student and I fell in love with one of my classmates, who also happened to be a girl. We were deeply in love and shared a physical relationship. But, I never mustered the courage to tell anyone about it. Somehow, my neighbours came to know and one day around a group of 15 people, both men and women, beat me up," recalled Divya.
"After being brutally battered and getting no support from my parents and siblings, I had no choice but to run out from home, as everyone threatened to send me to [the] police," added Divya, 29.
After going through a harrowing time, Divya today is working as a salesperson in a garment shop, but is yet to declare her orientation in public.
"Hopefully, after Thursday's Delhi High Court's verdict, I am planning to tell all my friends and colleagues about my sexual orientation," smiled Divya.
The Delhi High Court judgment on Thursday decriminalised gay sex, by striking down a portion of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which sees homosexuality as "unnatural sex" and treats it as a criminal act.
"We're hoping that after the judgment, police harassment of LGBT community will come down. At least the police won't be able to arrest a person, because of their sexual orientation," said Siddharth Narrain, a gay rights activist and advocate.
Monica, a transgender, said her family abandoned her as she was born as a boy, but started living the life of a girl.
"My parents hated me. They were embarrassed of my identity. One day I left home and danced and begged to earn my livelihood. On many an occasion, I was harassed. I would like to go back to my home and parents one day," said Monica, 25, who was born Abdul.
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