Kolkata Lone Indian City to Host Gloriously Gay Gala
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KOLKATA, June 25 (OneWorld) - The streets of the eastern Indian city of Kolkata will reverberate to the sounds of sexual freedom Sunday when homosexuals and rights activists from across the world take out a parade to commemorate a pioneering gay revolt in the US in 1969.
Activists from India, the US, Britain, Canada, Sri Lanka and Thailand will participate. In a country where people frown upon homosexuality though it was depicted in ancient texts and statues thousands of years ago, Kolkata is the only Indian city to be included in international functions marking the StoneWall Riots of 1969. On June 27 in 1969, homosexuals frequenting a pub meant especially for them in New York city decided to fight back during a routine police raid. The landmark protests marked the launch of concerted gay rights movements across the world. The event will be marked here with a gay pride parade, "Walk on the Rainbow." Though Kolkata holds the sobriquet of "city of processions," the march promises to attract immense public attention because of the stigma attached to homosexuality. The parade is significant in more ways than one. For homosexuals are traditionally regarded as freaks in conservative Indian society. Theaters screening films portraying lesbianism like avant garde film maker Deepa Mehta's "Fire" and the new release "Girlfriend" were vandalized by fundamentalists for "corrupting Indian society." Rafiquel Haque Dowjah, secretary of Integration Society, the nongovernmental organization coordinating the march, estimates there are around 5,000 male homosexuals in West Bengal alone though not all of them are members of gay groups. Adds Dowjah, "Kolkata is the only city in the country to hold this parade. This year we are also inviting people and organizations which are not part of the gay community. They have responded enthusiastically." This is the second time the annual parade is being held in this bustling metropolis. Last year around 100 people had congregated in an unprecedented show of sexual solidarity. Dowjah anticipates four times that number this time round. The parade kicks off a two-week program packed with cultural performances, workshops, book readings, et al. On July 1 and 9, prominent theatre groups will enact plays on homosexuality. Dowjah feels the performances showcase a gradual sensitization towards homosexuality in Kolkata, due to interactions with gay activists and sensitive media coverage. Same sex partners in this city have come a long way since 1999, when gay groups took out a "Friendship Walk," urging NGOs and members of civil society to help them reduce the stigmas attached to homosexuality. Confesses Dowjah, "Five years ago I wouldn't have dared to hold such a rally in the city." But there is still a long way to go before such people are accepted in India, where the law fails to recognize homosexuality. Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code, introduced in the country by the British in 1860, describes homosexuality as going against the laws of nature by indulging in "unnatural acts." There have been several demands by the gay lobby to repeal this law. In 2001, the Delhi High Court admitted a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the article on the ground that it "criminalizes homosexual acts" even between two consenting adults and impedes AIDS control efforts among homosexuals. The case is pending in court despite several hearings. In such a scenario, coming out of the closet is crucial for the homosexual community. Just five years ago, when the British Council here organized a seminar to mark Gay and Lesbian Rights Day on March 17, lesbians refused to be interviewed by the electronic media or give their real names to print organizations. But today, women like Malobika, secretary of Sappho, the only lesbian group in eastern India, do not hesitate to give media interviews. She reveals, "We started out with six members in 1999, now we have about 145 running members and 52 active members. Running members are those in far-flung areas who cannot attend our regular meetings." Sappho runs a helpline to counsel lesbians. Says Malobika, "Being lesbians in a patriarchal society where (heterosexual) marriage is supposed to be the ultimate goal for women, we are doubly discriminated against." Though lesbians have a tough time, gays in India fare only marginally better. There are many instances where the parents of gays marry them off to women or lock them up in a bid to "cure" what they believe is a psychological problem. Such repression often prompts suicides, reveal rights activists. Which is why gay pride parades and other awareness events are so important, points out Pawan Dhall, country director for program and development with SAATHII (Solidarity and Action against the HIV Infection in India) Trust. "They help make people aware of a different social milieu and encourage members of the gay community," asserts Dhall, adding that, "Fortunately, there has been a change for the better in this city for homosexuals." Dhall should know, since he was a founder member of the Counsel Club for homosexuals in 1993, then the only one of its kind in eastern India. He later started a support service called Integration. Though the Counsel Club does not function in the old format, Dhall feels that "an agency might die but the ideas generated do not." New support groups like Amitie and Swikriti validate his conviction. Dhall reveals that efforts are on to establish a network in West Bengal that will include 'Kotis' -- a traditional term for transgender, sometimes used for eunuchs as well -- and network with gay groups in other parts of India. |
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