A statement by India’s Union Health Minister – Ghulam Nabi Azad has raised lot of questions. His one statement or I must say comment “men having sex with men (MSM) is a "disease" and "unnatural" has put India at a very low platform globally. Where in US same-sex marriages are encouraged and bills are passed for approval (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/16/us-politics-new-york) we are still considering homosexuality as a disease and a reason for AIDS.
Homosexuality is a choice or preference and has nothing to be categorised as disease. If the person who represents the Health Ministry of our country is not updated with the realities he need not comment. What is the future of our Health Ministry, left up to God as many other things?
It has discouraged lot of organisations and activists who are working for gay rights in our country. I am not able to relate why is the discrimination being done in India on the basis of factors that are natural?
I guess our Union Health Minister needs to know following few updates:
· "Even the UN passed a resolution saying that the LGBT community has equal rights as anyone else and cannot be discriminated on the basis of their sexual orientation”.
· According to NACO, there are more than 400,000 men who have sex with men in India. HIV prevalence in this population is about 7.3 percent compared to a national adult HIV prevalence of 0.31 percent. India has over 2.5 million HIV positive people.
· "India's rich tradition of inclusivity and social justice must include men who have sex with men and transgender people," Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS executive director, said in a statement.
· "There is no place for stigma and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Consistent with World Health Organisation (WHO) disease classification, UNAIDS does not regard homosexuality as a disease."
Homosexuality is not a disease and there is no place for discrimination on the basis of a person's sexual orientation, UNAIDS emphasised.
I am glad we have data to support gay rights. And just to add it is not a disease that has travelled from western countries. It is prevalent in India from many years but just that gay rights are not supported and has made them to live a closeted life suppressing their desires and needs.
Come forward, understand homosexuality and if you cannot respect it then do not comment also. You might put the image of India at stake.
Respect !!!!
Respect !!!!
