Disease or Conception : Why not erase Homophobia? Constitution should add a new fundamental right ‘The Right to Exercise Our Sexual Choice’

What are opinions? How are they formed? Is it a result of social conditioning or a theory of nature or nurture? Whatever we may call it, we must first internalise the fact that the society at large have opinions and related phobias. We tend to progress in a straight line and any deviation is considered non compliant with the usual stereotype. Are white people racist? What do American whites think of black People? Are British people xenophobic? What do British People think of immigrants? Is Pakistani People misogynist? What do they think of women?

You can shoot hundreds of such questions and the answer always a monosyllable yes or no. There are people who have a particular mindset and also people who have an opposite mindset. Then, there are people who don’t have a mindset at all and remain unaffected. There are enough numbers in any of the aforementioned categories and you can’t ignore them. Their opinions shape and influence our microsystems, unless we remain immune to all that is happening around us.

HOW INDIAN YOUTH SEES | HOMOSEXUALITY

Treating Homosexuality as a taboo in India has eventually led to HOMOPHOBIA. Homophobia encompasses a wide range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). It has been defined a contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred of antipathy, may be based on irrational fear and is often related to religious beliefs.

One might ask why is there so much discrimination? Why do people make such a distinction based on sexual preferences? First of all treating homosexuality as an alternate form of sexuality renders it a product of twisted psychological mindsets. Mainstreaming of heterosexuality and divorcing sexual choices from right to individual opinions creates sexual taboos. The article is an attempt to look at the “taboo of homosexuality” and tarot the cards of alternate perceptions and sexual orientations in this small social haven we have created for ourselves.

Let us argue the case of Homophobia. One of the reasons may be because the first case of AIDS was discovered in a homosexual male and therefore first spread among homosexual males. This bought upon Homosexuals a stigma that would never fade. A connotation was forever coined between gays & diseases ; homosexuals and AIDS, does the disease continue to give homosexuals a bad name?

Society’s disapproval for homosexuals is seen in endless rallies against these alternate mindsets. Most of these rallies are religious because of the debate based on the fact that god created Adam and Eve BUT NOT… Adam and Steve. This  belief, engraved in the Christian religion is egocentric in its view point but the truth is that there is more than one religion not to mention, there are now many homosexual ministers in several Christian churches.

Yet another reason for the disagreement with the homosexual lifestyle is the Stance against the homosexual households. Are homosexuals adequate parents? This is a food for thought and a topic of debate because society feels that if a child is exposed to homosexual behaviour  as a normal being he/she might get influenced by it and will adapt to that particular behaviour. Homophobia is usually viewed in a socially negative context.The social milieu in which these gay men and women do not see themselves as making a choice in their relationship patterns but rather are born with a different sexual preference is not wide enough.

This routes back to the idea that even though hating a specific group of people will usually be morally wrong, it is unfair to hate a person based on the decision that they are not capable of changing(sex, race, sexual preference etc). While a person that is unsupportive of homosexual relationships may be entitled to their opinion, homophobia is commonly known as extending beyond the boundaries of the mind. This usually leads to separate issues like segregation, discrimination or even acts of  physical violence.

“|Some say that sexual orientation and gender identity are sensitive issues, I understand. Like many of my generation I did not grow up talking about these issues but I learned to speak out because lives are at stake and because its our duty under the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to protect the rights of everyone, everywhere”- UN Secretary- General  Ban-ki-Moon to the Human Rights Council 7 March 2012.

The measures ideally to be under taken by the corporates under CSR should be:-

• Protect individuals from Homophobic and Transphobic Violence.
• Prevent torture and cruel inhuman and degrading treatment.
• Repeal laws criminalising homosexuality and transgender people.
• Prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Safeguard freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly of all LGBT people.
• Training these homosexuals and transgenders in self defence.

Other measures that can be taken by the corporates for the well beings of homosexuals should be –

• Privately raising concerns and putting forward recommendations for reform in the contest of dialogue with the government.
• Monitoring and beginning to carry the torch of patterns of human rights violation.

In the light of these events I often feel that the society reformation lies in the hands of the few blessed educated individuals who, with the help of CSR can and will bring a positive change in the societal mindsets.There is a need for systemic reforms and a phenomenal change in social upbringing and branding of what is considered ‘moral’ and ‘Immoral’. The day is not far when we can have a new fundamental right as ‘The Right To Exercise Our Sexual Choice’.

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