Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Homosexuality is a disease: Govt of India

Homosexuality is a Disease: Govt of IndiaThe Union Government of the Republic of India, in circa 2008, officially thinks that "homosexuality is a disease, and if legalized would bring devastation to the society". Can you beat that? Just imagine the Additional Solicitor General of India standing up in court and telling that to the judge!

Thankfully for India's gays, the Delhi High Court is trying its best to ensure that sanity prevails. In response to the Additional Solicitor General P.P. Malhotra's remarks communicating the central government's official views on the said subject, a bench headed by Chief Justice A.P. Shah asked the government to produce a single medical report which stated that 'homosexuality is a disease'. The court was hearing a petition filed by gay right activists seeking legalization of 'same-sex-sex' between consenting adults.

Making things funnier was the advocate for an independent politician B.P. Singhal who endorses the central government's views. This is what he had to say, " If the court allows such acts then it would lead to male prostitution and the epidemic of AIDS would further spread. We would no longer be a country called India if Section 377 is removed and such behaviour (homosexuality) is allowed (in this country)." And here I was thinking that violence and hatred were the only dangers to the integrity of our country - a man loving another man could destroy my country, that thought had somehow never crossed my mind. Silly me.

One of the planks on which the legalization of homosexuality is opposed is that it is one of the biggest accelerators of AIDS. Shouldn't we then at least mull about banning sex altogether? That will also surely take care of our population problem. Now that's what you would call killing two birds with one shot, what say, Mr Singhal?