Indian Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights groups across India have condemned Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's comments earlier this week, when he said at an HIV/AIDS forum that men having sex with men was "unnatural" and a "disease" imported into India that must now be dealt with.

Health organizations also said they were disappointed and made clear that this kind of language is disruptive, especially on the part of a health minister.

Amid the massive uproar, Azad was quick to recant his comments: "Some people have played with the words. I have been quoted out of context," he said at a hastily convened press conference. "My reference was to HIV as a disease. As health minister, I know that (male homosexual sex) is not a disease."

Damage done

But the damage had already been done. "I feel extremely let down by the health minister’s comments," said Manohar Lal, a gay activist. "Even the UN makes it amply clear that it's a violation to discriminate based on a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. What is scary is whether this is the government line."

Similar sentiments were echoed by other members of the gay community in Bangalore who held a protest against Azad's remarks on the steps of the town hall, with several activists carrying the multi-color rainbow flag which symbolizes gay culture.

"This is so unscientific and irrational," said 25-year-old Keya Sarkar, a business executive. "When we are gradually fighting for our rights and space, this is the last thing we want to hear. It is really upsetting."

Growing awareness about homosexuality

Two years ago on July 2, the Delhi High Court struck down a law which dated from the colonial era - Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code - that had made sex between people of the same gender punishable by up to 10 years in prison. By decriminalizing same sex-relations between consenting adults, the judgment came as a shot in the arm to the incipient gay movement in India.

Since then, Gay Pride parades have spread across major cities and many Indians have started coming out in smaller towns as well. More importantly, a great deal awareness has spread across society concerning homosexuality and several films dealing with the issue have been released.

Thus, in vast swathes of traditional India, which still hesitates to speak about sex, attitudes towards homosexuality have gradually been undergoing a shift, with many within the LGBT community making their voices heard.

Obstructing HIV/AIDS prevention

Another reason why Azad's comments were received with such anger is that they do nothing to help efforts against HIV/AIDS.

"It is well known that prejudice and stigma hamper HIV prevention efforts," argued Rameshwar Singh, a health practitioner.

"Even the World Health Organization has stated that to successfully fight world HIV rates, criminalization and stigmatization of LGBTI persons must be undertaken," he said.

According to some estimates there are roughly 2.4 million Indians who have HIV – of these almost 40 percent are female and 3.5 percent are children.

Author: Murali Krishnan
Editor: Anne Thomas