Some straight questions
Posted by Anantha | Posted in Gay Rights | Posted on Saturday, July 04, 2009
Caution: Explicit use of language when and where it is required
You could call it just a juxtaposition of some of my genuine questions, some info to pass on and few of my opinions; that's what is my say about gay rights, about recent decision of Delhi HC on 377, about the altered sexual orientation of nearly 20 million people in India. As I am not able to take a firm stand on this topic with my current knowledge on this subject, I could sound idiosyncratic in few places, but can’t help it! Being a heterosexual I could also be biased about this topic!!
Science:
This study says, it is largely shaped by genetics and by few random environment factors.
Indian Mythology:
Indian Penal Code:
IPC 377 states, “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”
Delhi HC has decriminalized IPC 377, and the section still exists. Meaning, a non-consensual sex against the order of nature with man, woman or animal is still a punishable offense.
Dat also means homosexuality is still not legal in India.
You could call it just a juxtaposition of some of my genuine questions, some info to pass on and few of my opinions; that's what is my say about gay rights, about recent decision of Delhi HC on 377, about the altered sexual orientation of nearly 20 million people in India. As I am not able to take a firm stand on this topic with my current knowledge on this subject, I could sound idiosyncratic in few places, but can’t help it! Being a heterosexual I could also be biased about this topic!!
- First of all, is homosexuality and bisexuality normal..?
Science:
- Biologists have proved that homosexuality is observed in many of the animals like antelopes, boars, bulls, chimpanzees, cows, ducks, cats, dogs, fruit flies, geese, gorillas, gulls, horses.. etc Is human being just an addition to this?Is sexual orientation of a person decided at the time oh his/her birth? Or is it a trait picked up by some hormonal changes during puberty? Or is it an influence of surroundings or is it a mix of all these or any of these? This research says, though there is a region identified in X chromosome, if it is present in heterosexual females, it gets passed on to their male children. This could make that child a homo. Again such a gene was not found in female homosexuals. This research also says that just a region in X chromosome is identified but not the exact gene. Also there is no measure of how much this gene could influence a male child to be born as homosexual.
This study says, it is largely shaped by genetics and by few random environment factors.
- What about bisexuals?
- Don’t bisexuals increase the risk of spreading HIV and other STDs?
- Isn't homosexuality a dead-end of evolution?
Indian Mythology:
- Khajuraho sculptors and Kamasutra have mention of homosexuality. But does that mean it was prevalent in India from a long time? Was it considered 'abnormal' even then? Any mention in old scriptures about this?
Indian Penal Code:
IPC 377 states, “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”
Delhi HC has decriminalized IPC 377, and the section still exists. Meaning, a non-consensual sex against the order of nature with man, woman or animal is still a punishable offense.
Dat also means homosexuality is still not legal in India.
- When IPC 376 states a rapist gets an imprisonment of 7-10 years, was’t the pre-existing 377 (before decriminalization) little unfair? Because a consensual sex with a partner of same gender would put a homosexual behind the bars for years equal to that for a rapist?
- Does IPC 377 (before decriminalization) imply a consensual anal sex by a man with his own wife considered as domestic rape?
- Do people become gays/lesbos by choice..? Is it more to do with their life style..?
- What about some young people who indulge in homosexuality for fun, in the name of adventure, in the name of exploration, or just for gimmick? Are they formally considered gays/lesbians?
- Why do eunuchs act so horny? Any research on desire to indulge in sex is more/less in people with altered sexual orientation?
- Why do most of the fashion photographers and designers "act" so feminine?
- What about those porn actresses, who say they love girls and also love to suck co**? Is it their profession pushing them to the edge? or is it that many of the porno actresses are bisexuals?
- In a threesome or group sex, if a person is *helping* the other same gendered person, is s/he called a lesbo/gay?
- What if a set of people in future dare to reveal their sexual orientation towards animals like dogs/horses/goats or minor children, would Indian Judiciary reconsider the existing laws then also?
- Most of all in future, if your daughter comes home with a daughter-in-law or son with son-in-law one day, would you welcome them?????
There are several instances in our scriptures and history. Most of the current prudishness is a result of the foreign invasions... in the last 1000 years.
Lord Aiyappa is the son of Shiv and Vishnu... and is also known as "Hari Hara putra".
When Iravan... the son of Arjun and Ulupi (a naga princess... here, I think "naga" is a race... found in the north east part of India and not a serpent) was to be sacrified so that the Pandavas could win the Kurukshetra war... he expressed his desire for marriage.
Since no woman was willing to marry a man who would only live for a day... Lord Krishna took on a female form and married Iravan.
@Roshmi,
First of all thanks for dropping in and commenting on the post.
The incidents you have quoted from Indian Mythology are again examples of male transforming into famale or vice versa. But I was digging for any incidents of homosexuality... and any morality related issues spurring out of it..
Precisely!
A lot of things in our scriptures or mythology is still not understood very well... and debates are raging to this day.
How can a man "transform" into a woman and vice versa, and that too temporarily...??? Think about it...
e.g., Ravana is usually shown with 10 heads. But, there are scholars who say: that he did not have 10 heads but 10 kingdoms and each kingdom was represented by a diff. crown.
While others say: Ravana was very well versed in the 4 vedas and 6 upanishads... so, he was thought to be equivalent to 10 scholars.
Some say he was Sita's father....
There are scholars who also say... that Prophet Mohammed was "Kalki"... and that many sects of Islam, e.g., Baha'i, Shia, Khwaja, etc have the concept of "Dasavathara"...
@Roshmi,
The debate here is not the practicality of the anecdotes. That would be an entirely different topic.
My question still is and was, whether any evidence in Indian mythology where a wo/man married a wo/man not transforming into the other gender...
Vishnu and Krishna seem to have mastered the art of momentary transgendering ;) Just another one to quote, Vishnu taking the form of Mohini at the time of Samudra Manthan and deceiving all the Asuras by not distributing Amrutha to them...
btw, I was toally unaware of - '..that Prophet Mohammed was "Kalki"... and that many sects of Islam, e.g., Baha'i, Shia, Khwaja, etc have the concept of "Dasavathara"...'. Im curious and ll dig sm info abt this...
There is a story on the evolution of the entire "Chandravamshi" clan... I am unable to recollect it now. Once I do, will share it with you...
P.S. Hinduism was never meant to be a religion... the word "religion" never existed.
It was "sanatana dharma"... "sanatana" means "ancient" and "dharma" is "rightousness"...
It was an assimilation of the accumulated knowledge of the ancients over time. What the western world claims to have "discovered" was already known. e.g., the Laws of gravity... supposedly "discovered" by Newton. It was already known to the ancients and had been proved as well... by Aryabhatta, etc.
Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism... are not really new religions. These great men... came at all ages, to guide back this ancient faith... whenever it strayed from its path. Politics and the quest for power has changed everything.
There is a line of thought now... which says that Jesus was a Jew and a minor prophet, who came to indicate the arrival of Prophet Mohammed. The jews rejected him... and Prophet Mohammed took on the jews. Even Saladin the Great... took on the jews. The descendents of Prophet Mohammed belong to the Shia sect and have an honorific title... "Syed". Even to this day... the Shias are fighting the jews. The ones who are not... and fighting this vedic faith are, the sunnis... a later day "creation" or a product of the cold war. They were created by the super powers to continue their leverage and sell their defence related products, without which their economy would collapse.
I read an article... about "Ramji's throne" which is in a place in the Swat valley in the north western part of our neighbouring country. This place has been taken care of for centuries by the predominantly Shia population there. Do we need to ask why the Americans are bombing this place looking for terrorists...???
JFK was one who tried to take on this gun lobby... and we all know what happened to him and his family. Ditto any popular leader in this part of the world or elsewhere, e.g. South America.
Please vote for my blog: http://notapennyformythoughts.blogspot.com/ @ Indiblogger (if you feel it is worthy of your vote, that is)
Only 5 days left! You can only vote for one blog... i.e., you can vote only once.
Link to vote @ Indiblogger: http://www.indiblogger.in/vote.php?entry=408
Check out my latest post: "Please Vote... for my Blog @ IndiBlogger! Only 1 day left!"
You need to be registered with IndiBlogger. Here is the link: http://indiblogger.in/
Thanks in advance! :)
@Roshmi Sinha : Thanks for the insight. It was really wonderful.
@Anantha : I do have similar questions as you do but I am kind of tolerant. Accept people as they are. At the end of the day, it is what you are to the world matters and not the other way around.
@Roshmi,
Thanks for the quite informative comments..
@Saravanan,
Well said..
This was a forwarded email i got. Does this fit here ?
The recent High Court ruling on Gays has created quite a stir in Karnataka and has made the average kannadiga take a re-look at his daily life.
The native Kannadiga family man wakes up in the morning (belaGAY) and discovers that his whole family could be GAY.
His father is heard telling his mother : maganGAY, magalGAY, soseGAY.
His wife says appanGAY, ammanGAY, gandanGAY...... and she loves malliGAY.
He gets ready for breakfast........ thindyGAY. here the talk is about nanGay, ninGay .
His favorite home-made sweet dish is holGay.
At work, they talk about : YaarGAY,AvaruGAY, IvaruGAY, hinGAY, hanGAY, elliGAY, alliGAY, bossGAY, secretaryGAY.
At his children's school, it is TeachersGAY, StudentsGAY, puneGAY and so on.
For entertainment, he goes cinemaGAY
The Judiciary and Police are no different. It is JugdeGAY, PoliceGAY, KalruGAY and so on.
Even the non-living things are GAY inclined. The Kannadiga says
busGAY, trainGAY, flightGAY.........
Finally, at the end of the day, he heads back home..........maneGAY.
And what does he find on the way.......... the road is lined with
sampiGAY trees.