s. 377 (cont’d). Since the decision to amend s. 377 by the Delhi High Court was so monumental it was the topic of our Friday meeting at work this week. The Friday meeting is generally a presentation on a key topic of interest. This was definitely not a meeting to be missed. What ensued after the presentation on the amendment – which to further clarify decriminalizes sex (of any sort) between two consenting adults (i.e. above 18) and is thus seen as a huge support of gay rights – was a discussion about the amendment. While we are working with educated persons who support human rights, there are people who do not support gay rights and it is constantly spoken about as a problem, disease, issue. One of the points of discussion was the fear that Indians feel generally about the amendment of the India Penal Code (IPC). There is a commotion caused in the media and apparently a large portion of the society is fearful that since homosexuality is essentially decriminalized that all of a sudden there will be a higher proportion of gays in India. Like all sorts of people will be “converting” to homosexuality. This seems to be an “issue.” The presenter stated that likely it is not that more people will “become” gay just that the numbers of known gay persons may rise as people are able to “express” their homosexuality without fear of criminal repercussion. I found my voice in this meeting. I stated that the “fear” is the problem and the issue, not homosexuality. The persons in this organization that speak negatively about homosexuality are just perpetuating this fear and the Indian society needs to change its way of thinking, starting with the educated and with those who supposedly work to support human rights. (As a note, not all people at HRLN were vocal or opposed or “fearful” of the amendment, just several outspoken people). Along with discussing the whole change that needs to occur for acceptance in Indian society I also addressed this “fear” that people think that all of a sudden all these Indians will become gay. In more words and a much more tactful manner, I said “so what?” So what does it matter if more Indians express their homosexuality. If 20, 30, 40, 50 percent of the population is homosexual. I didn’t express it in this manner and I tried to make my point clear using more words but the underlying point in general is addressing this fear that Indian society has of homosexuality and gay rights.

I respect the culture of India and I understand the struggle for progression for some human rights. I also know that there was a time when Canada was very against gay rights and I even belong to a religion that is opposed. However, as a person I am very much for gay rights and for anything that supports people’s ability to express themselves. Someone even made the comparison to “like well, then should we allow other types of ‘unnatural sex’ like rape”. In my view this comment was unacceptable. The key to the provision that was passed (as stressed by another HRLN member working in reproductive rights) is that the act is consensual. I was appalled by someone even using this comparison. Change comes slowly and I expect it to be a long fight in India still for gay rights. There is a whole attitudinal shift that needs to occur and these shifts seem to come slowly in India. While the caste system has been “officially” abolished it is still largely prevalent in India. The only thing is that the only way that change can come (even slowly) is if people continue to support the cause and if there are possible messages that permeate society in order to combat the negative attitudes and concerns. Another piece of the discussion centered on “how” someone “becomes” gay which has also been a recurring topic in these conversations. Someone stated that it has been “proven” that it is biological. Sunil Gupta (a man who works to support gay rights openly and vocally) stated in a workshop earlier: “…That it does not matter how I am gay or how I am HIV positive, just that I am sitting here before you and I am.” We all are. And with the exception of harming other persons we should be allowed to be.

The Taj Mahal. While generally I’ve been writing about work at HRLN I wanted to write just a bit about our weekend trip because I can honestly say that I saw one of the most beautiful and incredible sights that I have seen in my entire life: The Taj Mahal. It was amazing. I can hardly put into words how beautiful it was and if you follow the original story, how much it spoke to love. In short, the story is that the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj in loving memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth of their fourteenth child. Shah Jahan was grief-stricken over her death and built this as a tomb for her. It is said that he lived his remaining days at Agra fort and pined away for her with his view of the Taj. When he passed away he was buried in the mausoleum next to his wife.

We got up super early to see the Taj as the ladies wanted to wear saris to the Taj. It was quite a 4:30 AM event trying to wrap us up in saris and I could never quite get the darn folds on my shoulder right (though the rest I think went fairly well (though frustrating!)). It seems that we were one of the sights to see at the Taj as we were asked constantly by the Indian tourists if they could take pictures with us and the Taj. We’re often asked to be in pictures here (or sometimes not asked, but people just take pictures without permission). In fact, at the Taj it was nice because we were all dressed up in our saris and people were very polite about asking. But we went to the zoo a few weeks ago and I honestly felt like we were the most interesting “zoo animals” there; people were trying to sneak more pictures of us then they were of the zoo animals!

Just to end the Taj Mahal story, while words and pictures cannot even close to capture the beauty in person, I thought I found online the following poem (Original Source: Mahajan, Vidya Dhar (1970). Muslim Rule In India. p. 200) that it is said that Shah Jahan wrote himself about the Taj Mahal that he built for his favorite wife.

“Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display the creators’ glory.”