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News analysis and analytical
perspectives
from India and the sub-continent Homophobia in India and the World Understanding the 'Love that Dare not Speak its Name' 115 years ago, (on 6 Novembor, 1893), the world was informed of the sudden death (ostensibly due to cholera) of the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. But soon after his death composer Rimsky-Korsakov had remarked "How
strange that, although death had resulted from cholera, admission to
the Mass for the dead was free to all! I remember how Vyerzhbilovich,
totally drunk...kept kissing the deceased man's head and face" . Providing a context for Rimsky-Korsakov's suspicions, Norman Lebrecht (in The Book of Musical Anecdotes) observed: "Cholera victims were quarantined and the corpse isolated." Norman
Lebrecht then goes on to relate how Tchaikovsky was subject to a "court
of honour" by his former class-mates at the Russian School of
Jurisprudence. Tchaikovsky had become enamoured by the charms of
a Duke's nephew. However, the duke threatened to expose
Tchaikovsky's attentions on his nephew to the Czar. Tchaikovsky was
then subject to a secret trial by his former friends who issued him an
ultimatum to arrange his death within 48 hours or be subject to the
full might of Czarist law which would have led to public humiliation,
loss of all rights and exile to Siberia. Tchaikovsky who was then in
the midst of composing his third (and possibly his grandest) piano
concerto was thus blackmailed into ending his own life. To this day,
official biographies of the composer have continued to obscure the
tortuous death of arguably, Russia's greatest creative genius. While most Indians might be
unaware of Tchaikovsky's magical talents, they are not entirely
unfamiliar with families going to extraordinary lengths to extinguish
unwanted love. Every year, one reads of honor killings that target
young men and women who fall in love and elope against the wishes of
their parents. But typically, these occur in rural settings, and
couples typically escape violent reprisals if they volutarily back off.
But in 19th century Russia, self-effacingly shy and retiring
Tchaikovsky wasn't even given that option. The Russian elite was
prepared to sacrifice the life of a composer whose music has touched
the hearts and souls of hundreds of millions music-lovers throughout
the world. In San Francisco (and neighboring Silicon Valley), performances of his Nutcracker Ballet have become beloved annual rituals indispensable
to the celebration of Christmas. For aspiring pianists, a performance
of his first piano concerto with its mesmerizing opening theme is often
the most important stepping-stone to musical stardom. (Almost 50 years
ago, American pianist Van Cliburn became a world-wide sensation when (in spite of the cold war) he
won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow with a superlative
rendering of Tchaikovsky's pivotal work that brought out all its enchanting romanticism. To this day,
pianists from Brazil to Korea have attempted to make their mark with
their own passionately earnest or dazzling interpretations of Tchaikovsky's monumental essay.) Yet, Tchaikovsky was not alone in
suffering for his romantic predilections. In acclaimed Japanese film-maker Nagisa Oshima's exquisite Gohatto [which presents a fictionalized (yet authentic) account of mid-nineteenth century Samurai sexual mores], the young Samurai protagonist is required to challenge his own lover to a duel and then to slay him to prove his loyalty to the Samurai code. In 1895, noted Irish author Oscar Wilde was brought to trial in a British court and eventually sentenced to two years hard labor. London-born (but conceived in Chhatrapur, Orissa) Alan Turing (considered by many to be the founder of modern-day theoretical computer science and inventor of one of the first true computers) also lived in a time when same-gender inclinations were considered a manifestation of mental illness and homosexuality was illegal. In spite of his intellectual genius and many contributions as a scientific pioneer, he was prosecuted for having an "illegal" relationship with a young man in 1952 and died two years later. Others escaped prosecution but
only by severely repressing their natural instincts. In his diaries,
renowned German author Thomas Mann (Death in Venice) reveals his most intimate (but suppressed) homo-romantic yearnings but lived his life as a married man who fathered six children.
Indians will perhaps easily relate to this. For men and women who feel
desirous of a relationshop with someone of their own sex, the most
common and accepted societal option is "don't ask and don't tell" and
get married anyway. Alternatively, they are condemned to live like the
proverbial Indian widow (without desire). While some may defy
convention (such as artist Bhupen Khakkar or journalist Ashok Rao Kavi)
most lesbian and gay Indians try to live as anonymous lives as possible. But it wasn't always like this. Pointing to the multiplicity of inter-feminine myths in her "Sakhiyani", Giti Thadani has sought to demonstrate that same-gender
eros is not new to India. Notwithstanding the assertions of some
religious conservatives that same-gender attraction or love and sexual
fulfillment are alien to Indian culture, Indian history abounds with
references to, and acknowledgement of same-gender sexual interactions. The
Kama-Sutra includes chapters on same-gender sexuality and temple (or
palace) sculptures in Orissa (Konarak), Madhya Pradesh (Khajuraho), Chhattisgarh (Kawardha) and several other historical (or even more recent) sites in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu reveal the tacit acceptance of same-gender (both female-female and male-male)
sexuality. Clearly, before the Islamic conquests and prior to
colonization Indian attitudes towards sexuality were neither quite as
prudish nor as restrictive as they appear today. Likewise, prior to
the rise of Christianity, Greek and Etruscan civilizations were
remarkably open in their acceptance of homosexuality or bisexuality (or ambi-sexuality as some analysts prefer)
as frequently attested by their art, sculpture and literature.
The Zeus/Ganymede myth, Plutarch's Morelia which includes a story
of male-to-male love, and the lifestyles of several famous Greek,
Roman or Hellenic warriors (including Alexander) suggest that not only
were same-gender relationships not uncommon, they may have even been
more the norm amongst the young men of Crete. Iconic philosophers of
ancient Greece - Socrates and Pluto identified with same-gender love
and eros, as did poets and playrights such as Sophocles and Euripides. In a 1979 lecture, American
historian John Boswell opened his lecture on the subject of the
Church's attitude to homosexuality with a quote from Plato:
"Homosexuality," Plato wrote, "is regarded as shameful
by barbarians and by those who live under despotic governments
just as philosophy is regarded as shameful by them..." He went on to assert: "
As late as the eleventh and twelfth centuries, there appears to
be no conflict between a Christian life and homosexuality. Gay
life is everywhere in the art, poetry, music, history, etc. of
the 11th and 12th centuries. .... St. Aelred, for instance, writes of
his youth as a time when he thought of nothing but loving and
being loved by men. He became a Cistercian abbot, and incorporated
his love for men into his Christian life by encouraging monks
to love each other, not just generally, but individually and passionately
He cited the example of Jesus and St. John as guidance for this." Recently,
Indian civil rights
advocates have been actively opposed by the Congress government in this
regard. While the Health Minister PMK's A. Ramadoss has called for the
repeal of section 377 on humanitarian grounds, former Congress Home
Minister Shivraj Patil's representatives in the Delhi High Court
have repeatedly (and belligerently) cited Christian religious scripture
to argue against the
decriminalization of male-to-male sexual activity. Roman Catholic
Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
have refused to intervene in the debate, thus allowing Patil's
regressive
stance to prevail. This is especially
ironical
since similar laws in Britain and the US have already been overturned
and several mainstream churches in the US and Europe have now reversed
their position on same-gender sexuality. There has also been
considerable debate on the right interpretation of the bible with several reform churches arguing that Leviticus (from the
Old Testament) may be ignored or overruled by Christians and that
other passages in the Bible only condemn forced male-to-male sex ( i.e. male rape and male sexual exploitation)
but should not be construed to proscribe consensual love between two
men or two women. In recent years, several American churches (including the Unitarian, Presbytarian, Episcopal and some Lutheran dominations)
have embraced openly lesbian or gay members in their congregations and
many of these churches may now also ordain openly gay clergy. In 2006, New York-based Jewish council (Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) of the Rabbinical
Assembly) issued a statement that included the following: 'Recalling the Torah’s
command, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself, I am the Lord,”
we rededicate our movement to making its congregations and educational
institutions inclusive and welcoming of all Jews regardless of their
marital status or sexual orientation.' Israel (which
like India inherited many of its laws from the British) overturned its
equivalent of section 377 in 1982 and allowed openly gay or lesbian
citizens to serve in the military in 1993. Employment discrimination
was banned in 1992. It now allows foreign partners of its gay and
lesbian citizenry to gain residency permits. South Africa
(another British colony) reversed its laws in 1994 and its
post-apartheid constitution disallows discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation. France (unlike Britain) decriminalized homosexuality soon after its Revolution in 1791. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment or
service, public or private, has been prohibited since 1985. Gay and
lesbian people may also serve in the Armed Forces. Thailand overturned its
equivalent of section 377 in 1956 and its armed forces permit gay and
transsexual citizens to enrol in the army. In Japan, a law similar to
section 377 was passed in 1873 only to be overturned 7 years later. In
predominantly
Christian Phillipines and Argentina private consensual homosexual
relations are not
criminalized while Mexico passed anti-discrimination laws in 2001 as have several
municipalities in Brazil. In contrast,
the situation is quite different in most Islamic countries. The Quran
explicitly condemns homosexual activity and same-sex intercourse can
lead to the death penalty in several Islamic nations including Saudi
Arabia, Iran and Sudan. While Nigeria retains its British era colonial
laws, in Islamic northern Nigeria, the punishment may be death. In
Bangladesh, the old British era laws remain, while in Pakistan they
have become harsher and punishment may extend to life imprisonment.
Likewise in Malaysia, the British-era laws have been tightened and
punishment has been enhanced to 20 years. In Iran, it is estimated that
4000 have been executed. Unlike India
(or Sri Lanka, or Kenya) Indonesia did not inherit any colonial laws
that punished homosexual relations. However, creeping Islamization has
led to the passage of new laws (derived from the Shariah code) in some
provinces (like Aceh) and cities (like Palembang). Thus, whereas
activism by gay and lesbian activists (aided by progressive human
rights groups) has brought about a measure of safety and greater
equality of treatment for the gay and lesbian citizenry in many
countries, the trend is very disconcerting in most Islamic countries.
It also runs counter to a growing body of scientific evidence that
demonstrates that homosexuality is widespread in the animal kingdom. Bruce Bagemihl, a Canadian Biologist and author of "Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" has noted
that homosexual behaviour has been observed in almost 1500 species and
is well documented for 500. Homosexual activity is particularly evident
amongst male giraffes, female gulls, male mallards, black swans,
dolphins and several primate species such as the Benobo or Macaque.
Several zoos have recorded same-sex pairings amongst male penguins and
attempts at breaking up male penguin couples in a German zoo failed. Since humans share a signficant portion of their DNA with
primates, observations of pronounced homosexual relations amongst both
male and female monkeys and chimpanzees suggest that homosexuality is
indeed an entirely natural and biological phenomenon that can be
repressed only at the cost of great emotional and psychological harm to
the concerned individuals. In a world that is already choking from resource
constraints - when human ecological damage threatens the very survival
of our world as we know it, concerns about sex not leading to
procreation are no longer very legitimate. Instead, tolerance of
same-gender relationships could lead to a faster stabilization of a
rapidly growing world population. Rather than preserve colonial relics such as section 377, India ought to recognize gay marriages and outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. It should take its cues from a recent Nepal Supreme Court ruling that directed the government to provide equal laws for citizens who were lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender as well as provide for same-sex marriages. Across India, there have been numerous stories of young women (and also some men) tying the knot and taking marriage vows in traditional ceremonies. Some have been accepted by their families while others have been tormented into abandoning their chosen life partners. This has sometimes led to mutual suicide pacts or individual suicides. A young NRI film-maker recently documented the tragedy of lesbian suicides in Northern Kerala. India's Kinnars have also been demanding recognition of a third gender and equal treatment, and states like Tamil Nadu have been moving slowly towards acknowledging some of their demands. As more and more civilized nations move in that direction, it would be a shame if India allows the legacy of its Islamic invasions and colonial conquests to decide the future of its citizens whose biological make-up does not conform to convention. It is time to fight religious bigotry and social conservatism and allow all Indians to fully consummate their natural impulses. India must adopt an enlightened understanding of its
biological minorities and accords them the same rights as all its other
citizens.
Lord Alfred Douglas (who shared an intimate relationship with Oscar Wilde) coined the phrase in his poem Two Loves, which was printed in the Chameleon in 1896:
The Historical Context for India's Article 377 (Also from John Boswell's 1979 Lecture) "Beginning about
1150, for reasons I cannot adequately explain, there was a great
upsurge in popular intolerance of gay people...
Women were suddenly excluded from power structures to which they
had previously had access- they were no longer able, for example, to attend
universities in which they had previously been enrolled. Double
monasteries for men and women were closed...." "The change was rapid. In England in the 12th century there were no laws against Jews and they occupied prominent positions, but by the end of the 13th century, sleeping with a Jew was equated with sleeping with an animal or with murder, and in France Jews, according to St. Louis, were to be killed on the spot if they questioned the Christian faith. During this time there are many popular diatribes against gay people as well, suggesting that they molest children, violate natural law, are bestial, and bring harm to nations which tolerate them. Within a single century. between the period of 1250 and 1350, almost every European state passed civil laws demanding death for a single homosexual act..... During the 13th century, because of this popular reaction, writers like Thomas Aquinas tried to portray homosexuality as one of the very worst sins, second only to murder."
India's Demographic Transformation Human Development and Infrastructure
in the Indian Subcontinent World Hypocrisy Regarding Israel Also see: Historic Notes pertaining to homophobia and misogyny in Islam Back for other selections from South Asian Voice for other articles on issues confronting India and the region. Also see South Asian History or Topics in Indian History for relevant essays that shed some light on the history of the subcontinent. (If you liked our site, or would like to help with the South Asian Voice project and help us expand our reach, please click here)
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