Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, from the past few years LGBTQ community people have gained more and more acceptance in India. But in the boundaries of the family, home, and school.
It is still a constant struggle. Sexuality in India has been a subject of discussion from ancient times to modern times.
The release of any movie books novels which was directly concerned with LGBTQ rights resulted in great protest against the LGBTQ community stating that it is aligned to our culture. But is it aligned?
What Does Vedas Say About the Queer Community?
Queerness is as old as Vedas, Rig Veda which is one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism, mentions “vikriti evam prakirti” which means what seems unnatural is also natural.
Individuals of a third gender (Tritiya-Prakriti), not completely men nor ladies, are mentioned to a great extent all through Hindu texts like the Puranas yet are not explicitly characterized.
By and large, they are depicted as delicate men, fainthearted, and with no desire for ladies. Presently people frequently draw matches among these and current generalizations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sexual identities.
Hindu texts (Mostly Dharmasastras) like the Manusmriti, Vide Atri Smřti, Vide Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra, and the Vide Apastambha Dharmasūtra do regard homosexuality as a sin.
Hindu texts have examined and discussed same-sex want from the earliest times, in tones going from basic to non-critical to lively and celebratory.
Evidence of Queerness in Indian Ancient History
Everyone knows about these practices, their existence, but it was not accepted as it was already poorly seen. Over time queerness has become a taboo in India but what we don't realize is that it is a core part of India's ancient history.
Varuna and Mitra "the same-sex couple" in the old Indian sacred text of the Rig Veda, was frequently portrayed riding a shark or crocodile or sitting next to each other on a golden chariot together.
It's difficult to discuss homosexuality in old India without mentioning one of its most agreed and visual 'confirmations', as it were. The figures in the Khajuraho sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh are known for their clear gay symbolism. The sanctuary is prevalently accepted to have been built at some point around the 12th century.
Temples constructed in Puri and Tanjore between the 4th and the 6th century had some pretty explicit depiction of queer couples. Even the first Mughal emperor Babur had an infatuation with teenage boys.
Back in the old days in the 3rd Century BC, the Kovalam festival was born and it celebrated the story of Krishna taking the form of a woman to marry before the battle of Mahabharat.
There are many Hindu texts which confirm the presence of queer community in ancient Indian history but to summarize, on the off chance that we go by these famous references in Indian history apparently "Indian culture" did without a doubt "perceive" homosexuality through that period, and much of the time even acknowledged it.
If Queerness Is a Core Part of India, Why Has It Become a Taboo?
In 1862 when Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code came into force, drafted by Thomas Babington Macaulay. This segment condemns any type of sexual activity “against the order of nature”.
But after more than a century time, Britain passed a law legalizing same-sex relationships but the idea that homosexuality is unnatural has become an integral part of Indian sanskar.
Bollywood on Acceptance of the LGBTQ Community
A lot of times Bollywood has proved toxic masculinity, portraying “Mard ko dard nahi hota.”, “Ek ladka aur ek ladki kabhi dost nahi ho sakte.”, “Woh bandi meri hai, oh kudi na chhad ke, saari kudiyaan twadi.” and many more.
But!
There’s a great contribution through cinema. Fire (1998) or Aligarh (2016) or Margarita with a Straw (2015), have managed the topic with the most extreme truthfulness and maturity.
Here is our media industry, displaying gay people the same as normal people and leading the way to make the general public somewhat less homophobic.
Presently, in Bollywood, there have been so many celebrities who support the LGBTQ community through their work and by being vocal about it on their social media handles.
However, in today's world, individuals realize how to defend their rights. They decide to battle for themselves to rehearse bliss and they need to happen to their closet so they can live like typical individuals without dread of acknowledgment.
The courage of people while practicing activism and standing up for their rights, joining parades, expressing their value in society, and educating people about the rich Ancient History of queer tradition in India has led the supreme court to decriminalize homosexuality in 2018.
Homosexuality legalization was the first step from India towards acceptance, yet the country still has a long way to go before it reaches an actual and genuine acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.
The majority of us are somewhat hopeful and bring out advancement in our acknowledgment through our day-to-day life.
Written by - Harsheep Kaur
Edited by - Akanksha Sharma
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