India is a free country but the nation achieved freedom in its true sense only recently in September 2018, when section 377 that criminalized “consensual sexual conduct between consenting adults of the same sex” was taken down.
However, until this legal milestone is supported by progressive policy changes that talk about real impact, the Supreme Court’s decision would prove to be a vain attempt.
Acting upon this very thought, a trio of youngsters – Anish Gawande, Devina Buckshee, and Smriti Deora, came together to make the ‘Pink List’ – a collection of 2019 Lok Sabha candidates who have publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights.
In times when politicians haven’t shied away from passing homophobic and insensitive comments against the queer community, this list comes as a breath of fresh air.
So here are some politicians who have proudly made it to this list and have outspokenly supported the LGBTQ+ community:
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Whilst these politicians have done the community proud, there is also a set of politicians who continue to be homophobic in the face of the 21st century.
They have even went on to the extent of calling people of the LGBTQ+ community “diseased” , “dangerous” and of course, “curable”.
During the general elections 2014, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi had made impactful statements in support of homosexuality and against section 377.
They even included decriminalization of consensual sex in private between adults in their manifesto.
However, when congress MP Shashi Tharoor tried to introduce a bill in the Parliament in support of the LGBTQ+ community, it was dismissed with loud homophobic comments hurled at Dr Tharoor.
Sadly, even Congress was not in full attendance in the Parliament when the bill was being debated upon. So although, a lot was promised, Congress let us down again.
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Talking about BJP, the party has constantly shown their homophobia. Barring the exception of a few leaders, no one in the party has ever had the guts to speak in favor of the LGBTQ+ community and neither have they openly talked about policies that could be implemented in their support.
So let’s face it, no central government has ever been involved in bringing about radical changes in this regard.
While the UPA government has persistently failed to keep up their promises, the Modi regime has been fairly opportunistic with their stance and never really cared about the actual gravity of the situation.
So here is a list of politicians representing different parties who may or may not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections 2019 but have clearly been disrespectful and insensitive towards the community’s rights at some point or the other in the past.
Yogi Adityanath
The current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Yogi Adityanath has often been criticized for his homophobic behavior and statements. In December 2013, when he was a MP of the BJP, he said –
“Homosexuality is dangerous to social morality. If social norms and boundaries are done away with, then there is not much difference between man and animal..”
Subramanian Swamy
A BJP member of parliament, Swamy has also been a member of the Planning Commission Of India and a cabinet minister in the Chandra-Shekhar government.
An alumnus of the Harvard University, Subramanian’s homophobic comments which he passed in 2013 did not go well with netizens. Apart from calling homosexuality as a threat to “national security”, he said,
“Legitimising homosexuality leads to commercial profit since gay bars will be opened in all cities on foreign direct investment. It is a genetic flaw celebrated. In their privacy what they do, nobody can invade but if you flaunt it, it has to be punished & therefore there has to be section 377 of the IPC.”
Rajnath Singh
In 2013, soon after the Supreme Court set aside the Delhi High Court verdict that decriminalized section 377 and caused widespread disappointment, then party president and now Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh passed a conservative opinion.
“We will state that we support Section 377 because we believe that homosexuality is an unnatural act and cannot be supported.”
In light of these homophobic comments, the Pink List therefore acts as a beacon of hope for us young voters because it helps us to clearly see the work of those notable politicians who’ve actually brought about change in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community and still continue to fight for their rights.
A successful government is not just the party who wins the majority of seats but the one that truly realizes the power of the democracy it works in, without any kind of discrimination.
So this election season, let’s hope India chooses the right set of leaders but more importantly, the right set of human beings.
Sources: Feminism in India, Republic TV, Pink List + more
Image Credits: Google Images
Find the blogger @MoulshreeS
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