HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS IN INDIA

In 2018, the Navtej Singh Johar case legalized same sex relations in India. Yet, after almost 7 years of the verdict we still find ourselves in a society where homosexuality and same sex relations are met with raised eyebrows and giggles, bereft of any understanding or normalization. To identify oneself as a homosexual is in itself a big struggle, and an even bigger one is to make people understand the legality of same sex relationships. Though we don’t yet have a law for same sex marriages, however, homosexual couples have their rights protected under the constitution. Despite the court’s ruling, the law isn’t met with acceptance in the society because of a few reasons. First, there exists very little to no education among people about homosexuality and the LGBTQ++ community. According to popular belief, there can exist only two genders in the society, male and female. The freedom of identity, of choosing one’s gender is not given by the society. Second, in a society where even heterosexual unmarried couples are met with a lot of stigma and constraints, the idea of accepting the reality of homosexual couples is too far fetched. Third, the patriarchal and orthodox mindsets of people are unwilling to recognize the rights of any other gender except males. The hierarchy, gender roles and social construct are so tightly bound that no new idea or change seems to be able to fit in any sooner.

 It is high time for us to be able to educate ourselves on such important topics and give the homosexual couples their due respect and rights in the society. Campaigns can be organized, open conversations held and the reality can be accepted.