It’s all irrelevant…
The Court will rule that consensual same sex relationships are not criminal – but the Court hasn’t yet punished people who attacked women in pub because they thought the women were being obscene.
Meanwhile, why are activists so happy? Weren’t they in a relationship when it was illegal? Did being on the other side of the fence stop them from being gay? I don’t think it did – and if it did, I don’t think the ones who stopped are gay enough. Then what’s there to rejoice about?
Especially in India, there’s a long way to go between what’s on paper & what’s in practice – I wish a child of the judges who ruled is gay. I would love to see how s/he accepts the truth & treats them “equally”.
But this is not just with Gay rights – naah, that’s not what I am against. I hate this “looking-for-legal-approval” behaviour. When it comes from the Ganja smokers sitting in German Bakery that Ganaja should be legalised, I hate it. Cause it’s illegality has never stopped those guys from smoking it 5 times a day. Same with women rights – Bharatiyaar sang about the new-age woman and women were proving themselves in every field – but there’s always this gang that need a legislation. Why?
Look at what important issues we have at hand: There’s no water in places & there’s flood elsewhere. Online Admissions is screwed up & Kapil Sibal is already giving up on his bright ideas on the education reform. Crime against women is at a all time high & Kashmir continues to simmer. Financial world is struggling to pick up & unemployment numbers look threatening. But we rejoice because someone said what we are already doing is now legal.
I am not sure if I understand your thinking on this matter. Law has rarely governed trivial activities such as smoking ganja. I think homosexuality is a completely different issue. It involves two people. IPC used to look at any relationship betn. same sex people as “animalistic”. I wouldn’t want to be called abnormal just because I find a woman attractive? (not that I’m a lesbian…). So it has more to do with getting rid of a tag. I think, deep down, all of us pine for social acceptance. We have these norms that we want to stick to. I think the Courts have taken a big step by declaring it legal.
Look at the results- these couples can now demand marital rights. Earlier they had no rights! Usually, people who cohabit together for a certain number of years (even if they are unmarried) are regarding as a couple when it comes to separation. Didn’t the SC declare sometime back that people who have been in a live in relationship for more than x number of years (I think it’s 7, not sure though) can be considered married for alimony purposes?
I know what you mean by “what’s on paper and what’s in reality”…true that this won’t stop parents from questioning the normality of the issue. However, you can’t deny that this is a BIG step!
I don’t know why I do think it is a step in the right direction because even in a state like California, Prop 9 was passed just a couple of months ago…so coming from a country like India…it is a welcome change.
Sorry for the long delay – have been running all the time.
I see that your argument in favour of same-sex attractiveness is followed by “not that I’m a lesbian…” – it is precisely this that I am talking about. You do not want to be tagged, even if it is because you are bisexual & not a lesbian and therefore so.
Social acceptance need not necessarily follow legal acceptance – it takes a long time for the people & the society’s mind to change. Which is exactly what I am refering to as “what’s on paper & what’s the reality”. My point is, if it is acceptance from outside ourselves that we look for, then we have to follow what is accpetable behaviour!! I cannot deviate from what is prescribed & practised & then expect my practise to become the prescription right?
What are we trying to do? Giving more people the right to live-in or be a homosexual? I guess that right has always existed, just that it was under wraps. And if people rejoice because what they have been practising has suddenly been OKed by a judge, I feel only pity for them.
And as for the big steps, an Australian friend was talking to me last night about how lucky I was to be from India & have such rich culture & heritage because he, being a white from Australia literally has no culture. And I was thinking that these big steps that we are taking is probably towards the end of our famed culture & heritage.