India’s Gay Pride

Several of the anthology contributors live in India. The LGBTQ issues and laws in the USA are slightly different from those in India. The struggles, the bullying, the discrimination, the hate crimes, the stigma, and the HIV problems are quite similar. However, some people may say that American gays have a slight advantage. When you step into the shoes of a LGBTQ person in India, you will learn that:

• there is no way to officially track the number of gays beaten, sexually assaulted and raped by police and there is no justice 
• there are no landord/tenant courts to help gays who are evicted by landlords for being gay
• gays can be detained and “treated” with aversion therapy (electric shock) for their “mental disorder“
• some families abuse, disown, beat, and even kill gay family members

The good news is that gay sex is no longer a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. There is a steady rise of gay rights and human rights organizations, activists and supporters who work diligently to improve circumstances for gays in India. Gays in India are constantly being challenged, but the population continues to gleam with gay pride.

The poems, letters, narratives, essays, and articles submitted by the earnest writers in India will make you think, cry and maybe even laugh. When I stepped into the shoes of  contributors in India, I learned that the desire to have acceptance, fair treatment and love is universal!

Peacefully yours!