A. The homosexual
community in India lived in hiding a decade ago and it still does. There has
been no huge change in social perception regarding marginalized communities. In September 2001, Naz India filed a
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to challenge Section 377 of the Indian Penal
Code in the Delhi High Court. On July 2, 2009, the Delhi High Court pronounced
that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code will exclude consensual sex between
adults.
The decriminalization of homosexuality has been a
progressive step. It has made society accept the fact that we can neither
castigate homosexuals, nor ignore them by sweeping their issues under the carpet.
Q. What remains to be done now?
A. The High Court
judgement, however, does not talk about gay rights. Indians have a long way to
go in terms of procuring basic human rights for gay people so that they lead
fulfilled lives - they must have the right to marry, be able to adopt children,
have a respectable livelihood and be able to take care of their families.
As a culture, we still believe that we are obliged to
marry a member of the opposite sex and give birth to children to gain respect
in society. Even single persons are not respected, leave alone people of a
different sexual orientation.
Q. What would you say to a section of people who still
think that the sexual behavior of marginalized communities is an abnormality
that has to be treated medically?
A. To them, I
would say that medical, psychological and psychiatric research has constantly
shown that a section of any community is gay. The reason why they are gay is a
matter of ongoing research.
Again, studies have shown that homosexuals cannot become
heterosexual and vice-versa. There is sometimes, forced bisexuality in society
because people refuse to acknowledge homosexuality.
We need to understand that homosexual behavior has been observed in near about 1,500 species,
ranging from primates to gut worms, and is well-recorded for 500 of species.
Being gay is not an abnormality or illness.
Q. What are the greatest challenges facing you in the
work that you do today? How do you think civil society and the government can
reach out and help you?
A. The greatest
challenges we face today are from the conservative forces of society. We are in
the Supreme Court now, fighting again for the decriminalization judgment that
the High Court passed in 2009. The hearing is going on now and we expect a
judgment soon. We have to move ahead from there - a gamut of rights has to be
made available to the homosexual community.
Political will from the part of the government, laws
legislated for the progress and protection of the gay community will surely
make things better. Larger coalitions in society are very important to bring
about a movement to empower them. Action Plus is a group, which is doing a lot
of good in this context. Celebrities like Celina Jaitley, Koena Mitra and Pooja
Bedi have been very vocal in their support for the LGTB (Lesbian, Gay,
Transgender and Bisexual) people.
Q. What are the learnings that we must borrow from the
west in bringing the sexually marginalized into the mainstream and treating
them at par with other citizens of the country? A. We can learn a
lot from the US where homosexuals today have so many rights. A lesbian couple
recently fought and won a legal battle against the government for health
insurance rights.
As a democracy, we need to understand that everyone has
equal rights. We must learn to respect differences - even in sexual
orientation. Also, there will be no social change overnight, and there will be
many years of struggle to contend with. However, the only way to go is the way
forward.
Q. India has a long way to go to provide healthcare for
HIV patients. How can the lives and futures of HIV positive children be
secured?
A. When poor
children are HIV positive, they get a very raw deal - they have no access to
nutrition, sanitation, and medication. We have to fight for underlying issues
of right to childhood, issues of poverty, and malnutrition.
The situation is slightly better for adults. All
government hospitals offer free testing for HIV and free retroviral drugs. Any
adult can enroll in an Anti-Retroviral (ARV) clinic. If one's CD 4 level falls
below 350, doctors start treating the patient.
Q How are you sensitizing the keepers of the law, the
police, to the suffering of HIV positive people?
A. Naz India is working with the police services in New Delhi.
We conduct weekly training workshops for police personnel. The training aims to
build awareness of HIV/AIDS and tackles issues of discrimination, physical
harassment, corruption and Human Rights.
Q. What are the anti-retroviral drugs available for
treatment of HIV positive children? How do you plan to give HIV positive
adolescents a livelihood, so that they survive independently and also do not
spread the infection?
A. We have the
first and second line of anti-retroviral drugs available free of cost from the
government through AIIMS. The third line of drugs, however, is extremely
expensive and is not available free of cost. Our children are all on the first
and second line of drugs. The oldest child we have is an 18-year-old who is
being trained in computers. He will surely be able to earn his livelihood as
long as he lives. In the US, HIV positive children have survived till the age
of 25 years.
At
Naz, we teach children life skills from the age of eight or nine so that they
know about their condition, grow up to accept it and do not spread the virus.
Q. How many full-blown cases of AIDS have you treated and
how?
A. There were many full-blown AIDS cases and related
deaths at Naz during the years when anti-retroviral drugs were not available. All that has come to an end and our HIV positive children are living healthy, happy lives.
Source: Medindia