Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Who decides?

I was disturbed on reading Mohana Krishnaswamy's article "Drawing the rights line" (Open Page, Oct. 29) on homosexuality and her response to letters on the subject (Nov. 10) in which she has argued that "it is the major responsibility of society to nurture what is desirable and discourage what is not." Who is to decide what is desirable for society and what is not? Is there any evidence to suggest that homosexuals are undesirable?

I am a homosexual and have done my MBA from a reputed IIM and am working for a multinational company in Bangalore. I contribute to society as much as I can through charity activities, fund-raising drives, and educational drives. I have the same dreams as my heterosexual counterparts. I pay the same amount in taxes and am a responsible citizen like anyone else. Why does the doctor believe that my sexual orientation is not desirable for society?

Sameer Gokhale,
Bangalore

I wish Dr. Krishnaswamy would throw some light on why she believes homosexuality is undesirable. But before that, I would like to submit that even if we decriminalise murder, there wouldn't be murders taking place left, right, and centre. Illegality is not the only thing that prevents murders. And it certainly isn't the only reason why every Indian isn't a homosexual.

Srikant Iyer,
Chennai

Homosexuality has as much to do with the spread of AIDS as bisexuality or trans-sexuality or heterosexuality. It is the lack of adequate precautions that leads to infection. The sexual orientation of the affected person has nothing to do with the spread of diseases.

Homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality, and trans-sexuality have been part of human behaviour at least since the time of written records. Therefore, the nature-versus-nurture debate, which is apparently scientific, is not rigorous enough and is rather very sterile.

The author seems to have ignored the great works of art and literature inspired and produced by the brilliant minds of homosexual and bisexual women and men. Despite being penalised and branded criminals, these men and women have made our lives a lot more interesting.

Hari Nair,
Nunkini, Mexico

Homosexuality is socially acceptable in nearly all of urban Western Europe, North America, and many primitive societies, while ritual homosexuality is also socially acceptable in India. Modern medicine considers homosexuality acceptable. When none is harmed, and some are happier, its ethical unacceptability is not clear.

Dr. Krishnaswamy's analogies to violent crimes are not helpful. One analogy is to murder, a non-consensual violent act, where the state has compelling interest to involve itself. The analogy about Y-chromosomes and pardoning crimes is also irrelevant. Decriminalisation is not the same thing as pardoning a crime, but rather correction of a faulty penal code.

Without the unstudied references to society, ethics, and medicine, we must recognise that some have a feeling that they cannot understand homosexuality but such views are personal. This recognition should assuage Dr. Krishnaswamy's fears. Decriminalisation will not make huge numbers of young people homosexual. A great many young people, sharing her lack of personal empathy, will not become homosexuals. It is amusing that for the arbiters of desirability, one's own pursuit of happiness remains desirable but the other's happiness can be conveniently labelled "abnormal."

Dhananjay M. Vaidya,
Assistant Professor of Medicine,
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions,
Baltimore, Maryland

The campaign to repeal Section 377 of the IPC camouflages the real issue by referring to sexual orientation and human rights. The law is an effort to control behaviour that amounts to exploitation of a person. The argument of consent is spurious because such consent is often obtained by psychological blackmail. If the Section is repealed, there will be a spurt in the number of young boys being victimised.

Jille Begum,
Hyderabad

Anything happening within four walls with mutual consent is not a crime. So, there should be no problem in repealing Section 377 of the IPC. But at the same time, one has the right to express one's views on homosexuality. Everything that is not a crime need not necessarily be normal. Homosexuality is certainly a deviant behaviour.

K. Ramasami,
Coimbatore

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