• Manmeet Kaur

Criminals By Mindset

On 6th September 2018, the Supreme Court of India decriminalized the section 377 of the IPC, allowing same-sex relations among consenting adults in private. This verdict has played a very important role in the life of LGBTQ+ community members. They became way more confident and proud of their sexual orientation and started to accept themselves more openly in front of their family, friends, colleagues and others.

Homosexuals are no more Criminals by Law. But even after the Supreme Court's verdict, did society really accept homosexuals? Acceptance is a quite big thing to ask, do they even consider sexual orientation as something? Do they respect homosexual couples the same way they respect heterosexual couples?

Even after 3 years of the Supreme Court's judgement, homosexuals are still unable to live with the common respect that everyone deserves. People still think of homosexuals as crooks who are in a relationship just to satisfy their sexual pleasures. They never think of homosexual relationships as something born out of love.

Still some people in India don't even know that homosexuality is actually a thing and that it do exists. Half of the population still don't support homosexuality. But fortunately, an accepting and open-minded behaviour has been observed among youths towards homosexuality and sexual orientation. Many people who say that they support LGBTQ+ community members also admitted that they don't want any of their family members and friends to be a part of the community.

A lot of homosexuals are still in the closet because of the fear of homelessness, bullying, abandonment, discrimination and even violence, because of the unaccepting behaviour of their family members and friends towards homosexuals and homosexuality. Though homosexuals are no more Criminals by Law but are still Criminals by Mindset of the society.