‘Govt must extend facilities to LGBTQ’

Nagpur: People should first be humane to each other and not judge anyone on the basis of their sexual preferences, said Nikunj Joshi, LGBTQ activist and CEO of Saarthi Trust on Wednesday.
Speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Homosexuality: Changing attitude: Supreme Court and Society’, organized by Press Club of Nagpur in the wake of the historic Supreme Court judgment to decriminalize gay sex.

“Though section 377 has been struck down, there still exists a social stigma around homosexuals and transgenders. This could be wiped out by creating awareness as people usually confuse gender with sexuality. Like heterosexuals, our sexuality or sexual orientation is part of our personal life none of which should define us,” said Joshi.

LGBTQ community should also start wearing their sexuality on sleeves and shed inhibitions of being different, he added.

Transgender activist Vidya Kamble, former major and HIV specialist Dr Milind Bhrushundi, MLA Dr Milind Mane and social activist Girish Gandhi participated in the discussion.

Talking about transgenders’ rights, Kamble said, “Today, we are struggling for facilities as basic as a public toilet. We don’t have basic identification documents and it becomes the basis of rejection on professional front. The SC has passed the judgment but the ground reality is different. The government should extend benefits and include us in education schemes,” she said.

“We have a population of 750 transgenders in the city and proper education and a little support from the society will help us earn daily bread,” she added.

Dr Bhrushundi spoke about issues a homosexual faces while growing up and the positive effect of the judgment in curbing HIV. “A person growing up with different sexual orientation is not just confused about himself but fears facing the society due to stigma. This makes it twice as difficult for him to accept himself and takes a toll on his mental health,” he said.

He said, “HIV is mainly prevalent in two sections of the society — heterosexuals aged between 15-25 years and in LGBTQ community. Fortunately, it has now become easier for us to identify the affected persons and curb it disease. It is easier for homosexuals to accept their ailment,” said Bhrushundi.