“gay india does exist”

On Saturday, for the first time ever, three Indian cities held major gay pride parades. Nearly 1,000 gay activists and supporters took to the streets of New Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata in the biggest gay pride demonstration in India’s history.

Homosexuality is illegal in India under the colonial-era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which outlaws sexual activity “against the order of nature” with a penalty of up to ten years in prison. Other former colonies have repealed similar laws, but India’s remains in effect. The Delhi High Court is set to hear a case this week filed by human rights groups that wish the provision to be repealed for consenting adults.

Anti-gay societal pressures play an enormous role in Indian life, and joint suicides by desperate gay couples are not uncommon. The best known recent case is that of Christy Jayanthi Malar (38) and Rukmani (40), both married women, who immolated themselves in May due to the reactions of their families to their relationship.

gay athletes

The first gay male athlete in a team sport to come out during his career, soccer star Justin Fashanu of Britain, committed suicide eight years later, in 1998, when he was accused of sexual assault by a 17-year-old in Maryland (the allegation was subsequently dropped by the police due to lack of evidence). Ed Gallagher, an offensive lineman for the University of Pittsburgh from 1977 to 1979, jumped from a dam in 1985, twelve days after his first sexual encounter with another man. Glenn Burke, the first MLB player to be out to his teammates and team owners during his career, was traded from the Dodgers and eventually driven out of professional sports due to prejudice and died of AIDS complications in 1995, having spent the last few years of his life drug-addicted and homeless.

On a more positive note, a survey last year found that 72% of heterosexual Americans’ opinions of their favorite professional male athletes would not be negatively impacted if said favorite athletes came out as gay. However, 72% also believed that others’ opinions of their favorite athletes would suffer.