A ‘Common Front’ for The Marginalized in India

Gay Activist Works to Build Broad-Based Political Party

By Emily Wax
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, July 6, 2009

BANGALORE, India — Popping out of an auto rickshaw, Manohar Elavarthi unloaded a backpack stuffed with protest posters. Soon he would be rushing to a street demonstration, one that would bring together low-caste Dalit activists, Gandhians, cross-dressers and members of domestic workers unions.

Elavarthi aspires to be the first openly gay man elected to a major political office in India, like Harvey Milk in the United States. Elavarthi is credited with being the first gay figure in India to build a mainstream political coalition across a wide spectrum of historically marginalized groups.

“Our dream for Indian politics is to build a common front of lesbians, untouchables, eunuchs and low-paid workers — people who really need a voice in this country,” said Elavarthi, who has received death threats for his views, largely from right-wing religious groups and police. “India — the new India — is really changing. We need to build a party around social justice for minorities. It would be a sign that India is a true secular democracy.”

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Gay community gives green signal to Congress

Lok Sabha elections 2009    IANS
Gay community gives green signal to Congress
2009-04-28 09:45:22

SOURCE:  Sify News
New Delhi: The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community, which has been opposing ‘discriminatory’ laws against them, has hardly got support from any political party. Nevertheless, most of the community members have decided to cast their vote for the Congress since they feel it is ‘relatively’ more tolerant than the others.

According to officials of UNAIDS, there is no official data on the population of the gay community in India. In fact, collection of such data is illegal under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Gay rights activists, however, put a rough estimate - and this includes only those who have come out admitting their alternate sexuality - at more than five percent of the Indian population.

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Gay Nepalese MP looks towards greater acceptance of gays and lesbians

SOURCE:  Pink News

Nepal’s first openly gay MP, Sunil Pant has single handedly put gay rights on the political map in Nepal since founding the Blue Diamond Society (BDS). This is Nepal’s first and only sexual minorities rights organisation and is working hard with other human rights groups.. Lesbian rights however are lagging far behind those of men and even the men’s are still dire. This is mainly due to cultural factors and the fact that women’s rights in general are already very slim.

Sunil Pant

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Let’s talk about sex, and rights, Pakistan

A new magazine aims to spark a debate about sexuality in the Muslim country.

Andrew Buncombe reports from Lahore
Friday, 3 April
SOURCE:  The Independent

Pakistan’s first magazine about sexuality, Chay, is just three issues old yet already it is creating ripples within this conservative, buttoned-down and overwhelmingly Muslim society. And if those behind the new publication, currently only available online, fulfil their dream of producing a print edition, then those ripples may even turn to waves.

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They Made Fun of Me

Soumyadipta Banerjee
Friday, April 3, 2009 23:59 IST
SOURCE:  DNA India

Mumbai: The images started getting blurry for Karan Goel when he was only 15 years old. By the time he reached 27, a crippling eye disease ensured that Goel could barely distinguish between day and night. But by that time, he had already established a successful export house, got an award from president Pratibha Patil.

But that’s not all. Goel, a graduate from San Francisco State University has earned the distinction of being the first blind person to make a full-fledged commercial film in India. “My film is called The Other Side and the film portrays the life of a gay man who is forced to get married due to societal pressure,” says Goel.

But how does he make a film when he can’t even see the camera. “I used to see till I was a teenager, so I have an exact idea of the scene in my head. I ask my assistant to do exactly what is there in my head and when the shot is ready, my assistant tells me exactly where the characters are standing…at which points etc. Then I ask them to roll the camera,” he explains.

The scene takes at least twice the amount of time that a ‘normal’ scene would take, but who’s complaining? “Nobody! People are too appreciative that I have taken up the effort to do something like this. There was a time when I was not getting a job in the US for being blind. I was ridiculed and pushed around by bullies. And I just had to wipe my tears and get out of the place as fast as possible.”

We ask him why a film on gays, is he gay? “I am married. But I had a friend who was tortured and ridiculed. I knew how he felt. I have portrayed the trauma that a gay person goes through if he doesn’t have a support system. People simply don’t understand him. I knew how it feels when people make fun of you. They made fun of me too. I want to tell all my friends that people who make fun will continue to make fun of you. After a point, it wouldn’t matter to you if you have the will to succeed” he ends.