 |
| Ghulam Nabi Azad |
Gay rights activists and the LGBTI community's supporters in India have reacted rather strongly to Ghulam Nabi Azad's statement on MSM is "unnatural". While many say that he has taken the country back into Stone Age, others are asking why then, does the health ministry support NACO or accept UN funding for the same. Here's what the country is debating right now...
Queer pitch
Organisations like NACO are part of the GOI, and they're getting so much international funding from the UN, and so much money has gone into the HIV/AIDS programme. Does Mr Azad mean to say, as the health minister, that what NACO is doing is rubbish? Does he know that the UN has, long ago, passed a human rights Bill which says discrimination on the basis of gender and sexuality is a human rights violation? He will have to, just have to apologise, else resign. It's very offensive. Thanks to him, with the SC about to open the Section 377 appeal in a few weeks' time, the whole country is again in this same idiotic debate – we need to move forward. At this seminar, everyone who matters, including the PM, was present. Here we're trying to break ground with the masses, and this guy turns it all around with one statement.
Mohnish Malhotra, activist
I have only this to say: I was present at this event. I am with the UN now, and I was also part of the team that wrote out his speech. All I can say is that he has deviated from the speech and has given his personal opinion for some reason. What has he done?
Ashok Row Kavi, activist
He has committed contempt of court, gone against the 2009 HC verdict. He should resign, or apologise. Obviously he doesn't know what he's saying. Brush up on the laws, health minister.
Nitin Karani, editor, 'Bombay Dost'
You know, the health budget is not his father's property. It is the taxpayers' money – your and my hard earned moolah. Who the hell is he to say all this? Does he know that in 1973, in recognition of the scientific evidence, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? And the WHO removed it from the ICD-10, endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly on May 17, 1990. They set a global benchmark, and here is our health minister – what the hell!
Vivek Anand, CEO, Humsafar Trust
When the UN says it's a violation to discriminate based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, Mr Azad's personal opinion is of no consequence. But what is scary, is the question: Is this the government line? If you look at the UPA pre-election charter, they did have a point talking about protection to the minorities and sexually marginalised. But then, they have kept mum on this issue, and again, they let the Section 377 verdict happen. And now, here's their own health minister saying this. So, we'll have to wait to see whether this is a setback or a coming together for the community.
Pramada Menon, activist
Times View
Just this weekend, there were celebrations held in Delhi to mark the landmark 2009 Delhi High Court verdict, which decriminalized Section 377 of the IPC. The LGBTI community celebrated their freedom to be who they are, but many sounded a note of caution, saying that there was still a long way to go. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has just proven them right. Looks like even in the top ranks of our administration, among people who have been entrusted with the task of ensuring that each citizen has the right to equality, there is prejudice against the LGBTI community, and the prevalence of views long proven to be untrue. There is much scientific evidence to prove that homosexuality is not 'unnatural'; in fact, homosexuals seem to have a prominent place in many historical and cultural texts in Indian and other ancient cultures. The health minister's comment not only shows how much of society has yet to acknowledge this, it also raises concerns about whether policies and laws will be able to ensure dignity and equality for the LGBTI community, if policymakers themselves harbour such parochial and prejudiced views.
Twitterpoint
@over_rated: Is it stipulated in the constitution that every Union health minister must be a moron?
@parveen_gupta: mr azad has an oxymoronic name like his views - the real disease is foot-in-mouth and not homosexuality.
@yogibabakamdev: Breaking: Ghulam Nabi Azad has been signed for a negative role in the sequel of the movie 'Brokeback Mountain'.
@Roflindian: Ghulam Nabi Azad probably has finished reading the newspapers by now. At the moment, he must be quite Glum Nabi Azad.
@thetanmay: All ministers should ask themselves just one question: Would Baba Ramdev say something like this? If the answer is yes, shut up.
@juhipande: Congratulations Ghulam Azad. You've invented time travel. You just took this country twenty years back in time.
@taslimanasreen: No sane person would say, homosexuality is a 'disease'. But anything can happen in 'incredible India'.
Online one-liners
Namrata Joshipura (on FB): BIG THUMBS down to Azad's Ignorant Comments!!!
Catherine Ann Goodall: Gay Sex is a disease - says the former Union health minister........Its not a disease u nutcase...its a matter of preference...for your ignorance u deserve the standing ovation of my middle finger.......
Gudda says
"I'm shocked. How can the health minister of our country call homosexuality a disease? All this is happening at a time when New York is passing the Gay Marriage Bill. I think it reflects lack of knowledge and a closed mind. It's unacceptable. When the world is adopting a liberal attitude towards gays, this is a reflection of narrow-mindedness. India's moving forward, and there should be certain openess not just in the economy, but relationships as well. Liberalisation is about being more accepting. This statement goes against urban India, Azad has just brought India down. He should read the ancient texts before calling gay sex unnatural. Are we moving into the Dark Age? Isn't this an ignorant attack in an unintelligent and illogical way? We expect better from educated ministers. The gay community in India has been fighting hard to be heard and get their rights, this can be very defeating. Really, who are they to decide how others choose to live their lives?"
Queer pitch
Organisations like NACO are part of the GOI, and they're getting so much international funding from the UN, and so much money has gone into the HIV/AIDS programme. Does Mr Azad mean to say, as the health minister, that what NACO is doing is rubbish? Does he know that the UN has, long ago, passed a human rights Bill which says discrimination on the basis of gender and sexuality is a human rights violation? He will have to, just have to apologise, else resign. It's very offensive. Thanks to him, with the SC about to open the Section 377 appeal in a few weeks' time, the whole country is again in this same idiotic debate – we need to move forward. At this seminar, everyone who matters, including the PM, was present. Here we're trying to break ground with the masses, and this guy turns it all around with one statement.
Mohnish Malhotra, activist
I have only this to say: I was present at this event. I am with the UN now, and I was also part of the team that wrote out his speech. All I can say is that he has deviated from the speech and has given his personal opinion for some reason. What has he done?
Ashok Row Kavi, activist
He has committed contempt of court, gone against the 2009 HC verdict. He should resign, or apologise. Obviously he doesn't know what he's saying. Brush up on the laws, health minister.
Nitin Karani, editor, 'Bombay Dost'
You know, the health budget is not his father's property. It is the taxpayers' money – your and my hard earned moolah. Who the hell is he to say all this? Does he know that in 1973, in recognition of the scientific evidence, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? And the WHO removed it from the ICD-10, endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly on May 17, 1990. They set a global benchmark, and here is our health minister – what the hell!
Vivek Anand, CEO, Humsafar Trust
When the UN says it's a violation to discriminate based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, Mr Azad's personal opinion is of no consequence. But what is scary, is the question: Is this the government line? If you look at the UPA pre-election charter, they did have a point talking about protection to the minorities and sexually marginalised. But then, they have kept mum on this issue, and again, they let the Section 377 verdict happen. And now, here's their own health minister saying this. So, we'll have to wait to see whether this is a setback or a coming together for the community.
Pramada Menon, activist
Times View
Just this weekend, there were celebrations held in Delhi to mark the landmark 2009 Delhi High Court verdict, which decriminalized Section 377 of the IPC. The LGBTI community celebrated their freedom to be who they are, but many sounded a note of caution, saying that there was still a long way to go. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has just proven them right. Looks like even in the top ranks of our administration, among people who have been entrusted with the task of ensuring that each citizen has the right to equality, there is prejudice against the LGBTI community, and the prevalence of views long proven to be untrue. There is much scientific evidence to prove that homosexuality is not 'unnatural'; in fact, homosexuals seem to have a prominent place in many historical and cultural texts in Indian and other ancient cultures. The health minister's comment not only shows how much of society has yet to acknowledge this, it also raises concerns about whether policies and laws will be able to ensure dignity and equality for the LGBTI community, if policymakers themselves harbour such parochial and prejudiced views.
Twitterpoint
@over_rated: Is it stipulated in the constitution that every Union health minister must be a moron?
@parveen_gupta: mr azad has an oxymoronic name like his views - the real disease is foot-in-mouth and not homosexuality.
@yogibabakamdev: Breaking: Ghulam Nabi Azad has been signed for a negative role in the sequel of the movie 'Brokeback Mountain'.
@Roflindian: Ghulam Nabi Azad probably has finished reading the newspapers by now. At the moment, he must be quite Glum Nabi Azad.
@thetanmay: All ministers should ask themselves just one question: Would Baba Ramdev say something like this? If the answer is yes, shut up.
@juhipande: Congratulations Ghulam Azad. You've invented time travel. You just took this country twenty years back in time.
@taslimanasreen: No sane person would say, homosexuality is a 'disease'. But anything can happen in 'incredible India'.
Online one-liners
Namrata Joshipura (on FB): BIG THUMBS down to Azad's Ignorant Comments!!!
Catherine Ann Goodall: Gay Sex is a disease - says the former Union health minister........Its not a disease u nutcase...its a matter of preference...for your ignorance u deserve the standing ovation of my middle finger.......
Gudda says
"I'm shocked. How can the health minister of our country call homosexuality a disease? All this is happening at a time when New York is passing the Gay Marriage Bill. I think it reflects lack of knowledge and a closed mind. It's unacceptable. When the world is adopting a liberal attitude towards gays, this is a reflection of narrow-mindedness. India's moving forward, and there should be certain openess not just in the economy, but relationships as well. Liberalisation is about being more accepting. This statement goes against urban India, Azad has just brought India down. He should read the ancient texts before calling gay sex unnatural. Are we moving into the Dark Age? Isn't this an ignorant attack in an unintelligent and illogical way? We expect better from educated ministers. The gay community in India has been fighting hard to be heard and get their rights, this can be very defeating. Really, who are they to decide how others choose to live their lives?"
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment