The place: Polka Club, Kailash Colony, South Delhi. The time: Saturday, 12.36am. Section 377, which criminalizes gay sex, may be well and alive in Indian society, but that doesn’t stop gay men in the Indian capital from putting on their dancing shoes.

I’m in Delhi’s sole Saturday night gay spot to check out the scene. Previously boys-who-like-boys were restricted to Pegs ‘n’ Pints’ legendary Tuesday night. For Delhi’s hip homme, PnP, as Pegs ‘n’ Pints is affectionately known, has the same cultural significance as Studio 54 in late 70s New York. Tucked at the diplomatic enclave of Chankayapuri, PnP was the city’s first disco to host a gay once-a-weeker. So, when venturing to Polka Club, I hoped it would live up to PnP stature.

Sadly, from the minute I walked in, the high hopes fell firmly flat. When it comes to the music, Polka Club gets it absolutely one hundred percent totally all wrong. Somebody needs to tell the DJ – “Sir, Bollywood item numbers and camp Kylie are the way forward.”

Polka DJ’s mix of hip-hop, R&B and dated Hindi hits is leading to murder on the dance floor. “Hey Mr DJ, every gay man wants to be a show-stopping diva while shaking his hips, and can only do that if the music is on his side,” says a twenty-something disgruntled patron marching on his heels to the EXIT sign. A sight that is rarely seen in PnP before the 2am closing.

PnP knows how to please the crowd, the DJ deftly spinning Where’s the Party Tonight? with Kylie Minogue’s Your Disco Needs You, bringing the boys to a state of euphoric homo-heaven.
Bizarrely, for a gay club, “drag queens are not permitted” in the Kailash Colony venue. No such ruling exists down the road in Chankayapuri.

“It sounds like a strange complaint but Polka Club is just that little bit too big,” says a Lajpat Nagar lawyer. “One of the charms of its Tuesday night rival is its limited space that forces you to get down and dirty with the hottest hunks.”

Although both nights attract the same jaded faded tired old faces, under the shiny disco balls of PnP, everyone looks a little more happy, a little more gay. “PnP and Polka may attract the same queens but for whatever the reason, on Tuesday night they have more sparkle,” says an English dandy waif.
Manish Sharma, the organizer of Polka, is chasing the pink rupee, targeting gay clientele with weekly sms messages about just how hip and happening his party is. The unique selling point of the most recent sms is the club’s “improved air-conditioning”. Great. Cool. Thanks for that, Manish. But please when you are chasing gay for pay, get the music right. “We boys don’t mind getting hot and sweaty,” says a club regular, “but at least let us get hot and sweaty to Aishwara Rai’s Kajra re.”

Where First Floor, 4, Kaliash Colony Main Market, next to Maxim’s cake shop When Saturday, 9.30pm onwards

Continue

Here are some places for gay people to visit in Delhi:

• Male to male body massage. Expert male professionals, and have guys in different age group like 21, 22, 23 or other age group guys. GURGAON 09953066990 ADDY NEW DELHI.

• Sauna and Bathhouse Spartacus Delhi, Building No. 7, 3rd Floor, Arjun Nagar , Kotla Mubarakpur. Only for men.

Gay cruising areas:

• Jheel Park, Dhaula Kuan Metro Station (exit and walk east to the bus stop), Utopia Map. The park, in the vicinity of the Dhaula Kuan bus stop, is super active in the afternoons (it is not safe at night) with hundreds of men of all ages who, waiting for their bus connections (sometimes for hours), wander around the park looking for connections (which happen almost instantly as you enter the park). The term MSM was seemingly coined to describe this scene.

• Nehru Park, Chankyapuri, Utopia Map. At the corner which is closest to the Ashok Hotel Convention Hall entrance. Favorite cruising spot (particularly on Sun evenings), although be cautious and make sure you don't carry valuables. Peak hours are 6-8pm.

• New Delhi Station, Outdoor facility towards the Pahar Ganj side, Utopia Map. Very cruisy day and night, all ages, professionals and working class. Be aware of roaming authorities. If you arrive by Metro, get out at the Delhi Station gate (not Ajmeri). Enter the stairs via the security. Ascend the long and elevated gangway/passenger distributor where you may traverse all platforms below. At the last, Platform 1, do not descend onto the platform, descend in front and exit via the next security in front. Exit the Delhi railway station, on the right, you will see the red and blue sign for Railway Protection Force Post, New Delhi. The facility is directly opposite the sign, towards the right, and shielded by brickworks.

• Palika Park, Connaught Place, Utopia Map. The park, on the top of the underground parking structure, is reported to be cruisy from 6:30pm onwards, especially Sun.

• Park close to Lado Sarai, Utopia Map. Enter from the gate next the Wholesale Flower Market on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Rd. The park has some nice monuments and wonderful walks. Easy encounters are possible, although be cautious and make sure you don't carry valuables. Don't hang around too late after it gets dark.

• Park on the Ring Rd close to the Hyatt Regency, Utopia Map. Look for Fire Brigade office. The park gate is just opposite (next to the taxi stand). Easy encounters are possible, although be cautious and make sure you don't carry valuables. Don't hang around too late after it gets dark.

• Select Citywalk Mall, Saket, South Delhi, Utopia Map. Some gays cruise at the fountain area in front of this high end shopping mall in the early evenings.

Where can you find transexuals in Delhi

• Sometimes you can find transsexual street walkers in Delhi outside Jangpura DDA Park.

• Near Kohat enclave metro station Trannies sometimes as well offer B.J. in range 300-500.

Continue

Introduction

While talking about legitimating same sex marriage, I am reminded of a story of a washer man and his donkey. The donkey refused to move with the heavy bundle of clothes on his back from his house to the pond. The washer man nailed a carrot to a stick, which was tied in front of the animal's mouth. The donkey kept on moving with a view to cat the priced vegetable - the ass goes on and the carrot is un-reached. In the field of jurisprudence this shows how some laws the proverbial ass, pursue, perpetually, the carrot of the moral ideal.Is it not time we woke up to the reality, that homosexuals are as normal as you and me. According to some study, about at least 5-10% of population is gay. You can calculate and see what the figure is for India. Even if it is not that high a figure, we know that it is a quite common phenomenon. Its not good in the Indian society but its is a pshchological phenomenan, you can not help it. An increasing number of gay groups through out the country and serious thinking among them is seen in India in the last few years. Whether same sex marriage should be legalized is more of a religious debate then a political one. While I believe that marriage is a sacred union between man and woman, I also believe that our country was founded on the principle that everybody has the right to the pursuit of happiness. And if a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman makes them happy then I think it's okay. I do not believe it affects anyone negatively.

History:

Homosexuality has an ancient history in India. Ancient texts like Rig-Veda which dates back around 1500 BC and sculptures and vestiges depict sexual acts between women as revelations of a feminine world where sexuality was based on pleasure and fertility . The description of homosexual acts in the Kamasutra, the Harems of young boys kept by Muslim Nawabs and Hindu Aristocrats, male homosexuality in the Medieval Muslim history, evidences of sodomy in the Tantric rituals are some historical evidences of same-sex relationships

However, these experiences started losing their significance with the advent of Vedic Brahmanism and, later on, of British Colonialism. Giti claims that Aryan invasion dating to 1500 B.C began to suppress homosexuality through the emerging dominance of patriarchy . In the Manusmriti there are references to punishments like loss of caste, heavy monetary fines and strokes of the whip for gay and lesbian behavior. In the case of married women, it is mentioned that 'luring of maids' is to be punished by shaving the women bald, cutting of two fingers and then parading her on a donkey. Manu's specifications of more severe punishments for married women can suggest either a wide prevalence of such relationships among married women or a greater acceptance of these practices among unmarried women. In either cases, these references point to the tensions in the norms of compulsory heterosexuality prescribed by Brahmanical0 partite. Both sexual systems coexisted, despite fluctuations in relative repression and freedom, until British Colonialism when the destruction of images of homosexual expression and sexual expression in general became more systematic and blatant.

The homophobic and Victorian puritanical values regarded the display of explicit sexual images as 'pornographic and evil'. The Western view, since the time of Colonial expansion, has been strongly influenced by reproductive assumption about sexuality. These puritanical values and attitudes were in turn mapped into the interpretation of sexual activity among colonial people which is evident from the responses to all forms of 'unnatural' sexual practices. The Indian psyche accepted the Western 'moral and psychological' idea of sexuality being 'pathological' rather than the natural expression of desire, which once used to be part of Indian

culture.

The last century witnessed major changes in the conception of homosexuality. Since 1974, homosexuality ceased to be considered an abnormal behaviour and was removed from the classification of mental disorder. It was also de-criminalized in different countries. Since then various states across the globe enacted anti-discriminatory or equal opportunity laws and policies to protect the rights of gays and lesbians. In 1994, South Africa became the first nation to constitutionally safeguard the rights of lesbians and gays. Canada, France, Luxembourg, Holland, Slovenia, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand also have similar laws. In 1996, the US Supreme Court ordered that no state could pass legislation that discriminated against homosexuals. In India, so far no such progressive changes have taken place and the homosexuals remain victims of violence in different forms

supported by the state and society.

The issue of homosexual conduct has come to this fore in recent legal and political debates for three main reasons:

(I). Liberalization of the law (in the U.K., by the Sexual Offences Act 1967 as amended in 2000 and some other countries by a similar legislation) has brought with it a change in social attitudes, so that the stigma attached to the homosexuality has to a greater extent disappeared.

(II). Campaigns for lesbian and gay rights especially in the U.S. have taken on an increasingly radical character, arguing for an end to all forms of discrimination against homosexuality, and even for the legalization of same sex marriages.

(III). The outbreak of HIV/AIDS which has been spread in western countries to a great extent by homosexual activity between males, has led to accusations and counter-accusations, often of a bitter kind. Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as Canada in allowing same-sex marriages. Same-sex acts are punishable by death in nine countries around the world.

Arguments by those who don't want it to be legalized:

This is more of a religious debate then a political one. Large number of people specially in India are opposing it, as they say it is unnatural, uncouth and immoral. Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh on asking what did he think about the Canadian law of homosexual marriages he replied it is not appreciated. Those people who are opposing it their arguments are based on religious and natural law belief. Some people don't consider them as natural because they do not produce kids. Is it sacred if gay marriage is allowed God created Adam and Eve, we never find statements in Genesis about Adam and Steve. Why break God's law by allowing gay marriage If nature wanted same-sex people to live together, there would only be one sex rather than different sexes. Our society is based on opposite sex marriage. If gay marriage is OK, then why can't I marry my cousin, or my sister, or my cat. Don't I have the same rights as gays or are they now above the rest of us. Don't forget that the law is specific on this. It was created to keep the fabric of society together. It goes against the laws of the land that have been used for hundreds of years and were based on the basis of the commandments.

How Law Deals With It In India:

There is no explicit mention of homosexuality or hemophilia in any of the statute books of India. A person cannot be prosecuted for being a homosexual or hemophilic. But the sexual act of sodomy is a criminal offence. The major provisions of criminalisation of same-sex acts if found in the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860.

Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and should also be liable to fine.

The offence of homosexuality is read under this section as an Unnatural Offence. The term Carnal Intercourse used in this section refers to sexual intercourse between men or in other words, homosexual relationships. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, was enacted by the British in 1860.

The Indian law against homosexuality seems to be too harsh. The Constitutional validity of section-377 of IPC was challenged in the Delhi High Court as being violative of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Indian Constitution. Here it may be noted that, in practically all crimes against human body listed under the Indian Penal Code, some sort of physical violence or coercion is an essential element of crime. The only exception is in the favour of section-377, which criminalizes sexual activity that leaves no victims. In the history of the statute from, 1860 in 1992 there was only 30 cases in the High Courts and Supreme Court . " The small number of cases filed under this section shows that this section is redundant and outdated and needs to be repealed

The Central Government has informed the Delhi High Court that homosexuality cannot be legalized in India as the Indian society is intolerant to the practice of homosexuality/lesbianism. To paraphrase, three things can be said about the government's stance:

[a] the state has not just a function to, but actually a duty to stop unnatural sex, or else the social order would break down, law loose its legitimacy et al;

[b] that our society does not tolerate homosexuality, and notwithstanding the universality of human rights or the universal applicability of our fundamental rights and freedoms, its criminalization is therefore justified; and

[c] that it is really not our thing, its something that happens out there in the west, we do not have to copy that. In other words the three pillars of the classic culture arguments to criminalize the likes of us.

Why Should Be Legalized:

Arguments in favour of Decriminalizing Homosexuality: Gay and lesbian rights activists from various parts of the countries were protesting for their rights and for decriminalizing the homosexual conduct. There is a big debate in our country too- whether it should be legalized or not. I am giving some of the arguments in favour of decriminalizing it, specifically in Indian context- in view of Section-377 of the Indian Penal Code.

(1). It violates right to liberty guaranteed under Article-21 of the Indian Constitution, which covers private consensual sexual relations. The fundamental right to liberty (under Article-21) prohibits the state from interfering with the private personal activities of the individual

. The concept of privacy is so broad that no comprehensive and all encompassing definition of the term can be given. In the case National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian equality V. Ministry of Justice , the South African court held that, Privacy recognizes that we all have a right to a sphere of private intimacy and autonomy which allows us to establish and nurture human relationships without interference from the outside community. Even at the international level, the right to privacy has been recognized in the favour of lesbians and gay man.

(2). Criminalization of homosexual conduct is unreasonable and arbitrary:

Infringement of, the right to equal protection before law requires the determination of  whether there is a rational and objective basis to the classification introduced. There should be a just and reasonable nexus between the classification and the object sought to be achieved by the legislation. Section-377 of IPC, its legislative objective is to criminalize all the sexual activities which are against the order of nature, thus punishing the unnatural sex. Section-377 assumes that natural sexual act is that which is performed for procreation. Hence, it thereby labels all forms of non-procreative sexual act as unnatural. This gives a very narrow view to the distinction between the procreative and non-procreative sexual act. Hence, the legislative intent of creating a public code of sexual morality has no rational nexus with the classification created. Further the very object of the section is vague, unreasonable, arbitrary and based up on the stereotyped notion that sex is only for procreation. Now if this presumption is accepted is correct then, what justifies the policies of family planning and the use of the contraceptive devices

(3). Section-377 discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation:

forbidden under Article-15 of the Constitution. Article-15 prohibits discrimination on several grounds, which includes Sex. By prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, article-15 establishes that there is no standard behavioral pattern attached to the gender. The prohibition on non-procreative sexual acts imposed by section-377 prescribes traditional sexual relations upon men and women. In so doing the provision discriminates against the homosexuals on the basis of their sexuality and therefore constitutes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

(4). Section-377 violates the enjoyment of civil laws and gay men and lesbians and leads to other adverse effects: Section-292 of IPC punishes Obscenity; the current definition of obscenity can lead it to incriminate the gay and lesbian writings. As male homosexuality is a criminal offence, the presumption is that it is something depraved and can corrupt the minds and bodies of the persons. In the prevailing atmosphere any writing about the lesbians and the gay men can be criminalized, as homosexuality is treated as something immoral or depraved. The workman's Compensation Act, 1923- provides that in case of death caused by injury at the work place, the dependents of the employee are entitled to receive the compensation from the employer, the dependents will include a widow, minor legitimate son, unmarried daughter, widowed mother and an infirm son or daughter.

Thus a gay or a lesbian couple cannot claim the benefits under this section. This is not an isolated example and there are other such Acts that are discriminatory towards homosexuals. The Provident Fund Scheme, 1952 and the Payment Of Gratuity Act, 1972 define family in such away that a lesbian or gay couple. I end this issue with a quote ?There are several sections in the Indian Penal Code which are anachronistic in a changed world. Section 377 is a prime example. As a matter of fact, Section 377 as it stands, would have made what Clinton did to Monica Lewinsky or rather what Monica Lewinsky provided to Clinton, an offence. I am being discreet, because after all, some things can only be dealt with orally and cannot be put down on paper! The crucial words are "against the order of nature." The possibilities are immense and the imagination can well run riot. Perhaps the way out is now to argue that nature and its various orders have themselves changed.

Why There Is Need For Legal Recognition:

A recent study of sexual practices in rural India by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) found that `male-to-male sex is not uncommon. In fact a higher percentage of men in the study reported having male-to-male sex than sex with sex workers. This was true of both married as well as unmarried men. Close to 10 per cent unmarried men and 3 per cent married men reported having had sexual intercourse with other men in the past 12 months." The survey covered 50 villages in five districts of five states with feedback on sexual practices from close to 3,000 respondents and in- depth interviews on intimate habits from 250 people. The data is indicative of a reality the government is either unable or unwilling to see.

Love is love. The real threat to marriage is the alarmingly high divorce rate. Marriage is also a legal joining of two individuals. People who are not religious choose to get married in a registry office and not in church. Marriage shows the strongest commitment you can make to one another. Gay men and lesbians are just as human and have the same needs and desires as heterosexual human beings. I fail to see what God has to do with this Marriage in this instance is not religious, but a legal joining. Getting married is the ultimate way of showing your love and commitment to your partner, so why should gay people be deprived of this right. Who are we to sit and judge anyway. Same sex marriages should be legalized. If people find gay relationships contrary to their religion, it is up to them to refrain. Those who do not share their religious opinions should be free to make their own choice on this as on other issues. Gay men and lesbians are just as human and have the same needs and desires as heterosexual human beings.

The argument that same sex marriages should not be made legal "because they do not produce kids" is ridiculous. Should heterosexual couples over 50 not be allowed to marry as they cannot produce kids either? If two people love each other and want to unite their destinies, then it is a beautiful thing which should be celebrated. Whether it is called "marriage" or "life pact" does not matter. Same-sex unions harm no one; one's support or opposition to this is a matter of personal belief and morality, with which the government has no business to interfere.

The universality of Human rights demands that prevailing and dominant cultural and social norms cannot be invoked in a manner as to circumvent or restrain fundamental and constitutional rights. If we were to accept the government's arguments in the Delhi high court case, then many of the progressive legislations in my country would never have been enacted. For example, even today there are many men who think that tradition gives them a right to beat up their wives, or that they deserve to get a very fat dowry just because they were born with a penis. If we give in to these cultural beliefs, then there is nothing to turn round the legislations that we have made to stop violence against women or dowry and dowry related deaths.

Conclusion

On the basis of the whole discussion on the aspect of same sex marriage that is Should it be legalized or not. This is more of a religious debate then a political one. In which I have given my arguments in favour of decriminalizing it, I finally conclude by saying that homosexuality is not an offence, it is just a way of pursuit of happiness, a way to achieve sexual happiness or desire. I can see absolutely no reason, apart from blind prejudice, which prevents two gay people going through a civil ceremony which will give them the rights and securities which heterosexual couples enjoy. Marriage is a sign of commitment and love. If two men or two women want to show that commitment, how does that destroy or damage the ideals of marriage. In my view, it clearly demonstrates it. Aren't we living in an age which respects the individual's right to choose Isn't India supposed to be the land of the free In our society people have branded homosexuals as queer. Yet homosexuality is not new nor is it against the Indian culture, it has always existed and with much lesser prosecution, that under Section-377 of the IPC, which is based on British Offences against the Persons Act.

What should be the right approach to deal with same sex marriages, the issues are quite vast and complex. However, the desirability and feasibility of such an approach remain to be ascertained. In any event there is a growing conviction that our present method of criminalizing the same sex sexual activity neither helps the homosexuals nor protects the society in general. We thus need to legitimate same sex marriages in order to move forward in the direction of human rights.

Continue

All About Being Gay

• Men who call themselves gay are emotionally and sexually attracted to and fall in love with other men.
• Their sexual feelings toward men are normal and natural for them.
• These feelings first appear when they are boys and the feelings continue into adulthood.
• Although some gay men may be attracted to women, they usually say that their feelings for men are stronger and more important to them.
• About one out of 10 people in the world are gay or lesbian.
• This means that in any large group of people, there are probably several gay people present.
• However, you cannot tell if someone is gay or not unless he or she wants you to know.
• Gay people look and act like other people, but they often feel different from other people.
• Teenagers may not be able to say just why they feel different. All of the guys they know seem to be attracted to girls, so they don't know where they fit in. And, they feel like there is no one to talk to about their feelings.

How do I know if I'm gay?

• You may not know what to call your sexual feelings
• You don't have to rush and decide how to label yourself. Our sexual identities develop over time.
• Most teenage boys are intensely sexual during the years around puberty, when their bodies start changing and their hormones are surging.
• Your sexual feelings may be so strong that they are not directed towards anyone in particular, and it may seem that you are attracted to both males and females.
• As you get older you will figure out who you are really attracted to.
• Boys with truly gay feelings find that, over time, their attractions to boys and men get more and more clearly focused.
• You may find yourself falling in love with classmates or may develop a crush on a boy or man.
• You may find these experiences pleasurable, troubling or a mix of the two feelings.
• By age 16 or 17 some gay kids start thinking about what to call themselves, while others prefer to wait.

If you think you might be gay, ask yourself...

• When I dream or fantasize sexually, is it about males or females?
• Have I ever had a crush or been in love with a boy or a man?
• Do I feel different than other boys?
• Are my feelings for boys and men true and clear?
• If you cannot answer these questions now, don't worry. In time one's sexual orientation become clearer. You and only you know how to label yourself correctly.

Who should I tell?

• More and more gay youth are learning to feel better about themselves.
• As you start to listen to your deepest feelings and learn more about what it means to be gay, you will begin to feel more comfortable with your sexuality.
• This is the process called " coming out " and happens over a long period of time.

Learn to Like Yourself

• It is not easy to discover that you are gay.
• Our society makes it very clear what it thinks of gay people. We all hear the terrible jokes, the hurtful names and the wrong ideas that people have about gay people. It's no wonder that people choose to hide their gay feelings from others or even from themselves.
• You may wonder if you are normal.
• Perhaps you worry about people finding out that you are gay.
• Maybe you avoid other kids who might be gay because of what people may think, or you work very hard to be "straight".
• Working this hard to conceal your thoughts and feelings is called being "in the closet".
• It is painful and lonely to be in the closet, even if you have to be there to survive.
• It takes a lot of energy to deny your feelings and it may be costly.
• Some people use drugs or alcohol to numb the pain. Some youth consider suicide as a way to escape from the pain.

What about sexual activity?

• Naturally you think about finding an outlet for your sexual feelings.
• Becoming a healthy sexual person is part of the "coming out" process.
• You may be scared about the possibility of having sex.
• This is normal for everyone. No one should start having sex until they are ready. Sex should only happen between mature individuals who care for each other. You will know when the time is right.
• We all choose to have sex in different ways, whether we are gay or straight.
• There are no sexual practices that are "gay".
• A person can choose masturbation (either alone or with another person), kissing, hugging, massage, wrestling, holding hands, cuddling as ways to express their sexuality.
• They can also choose oral or anal intercourse or anything else that appeals to both partners.
• Remember that you are in control over what you do sexually and you always have the right to say "no" to any sexual practice.
• All sexually active people need to be aware of HIV/AIDS as well as other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) .
• Being gay does not give you AIDS, but certain sexual practices and  drug use behaviours can put you at risk for catching the virus that causes HIV/AIDS .

How reduce your risk of HIV/AIDS:

• Do not share needles  if you inject drugs or steroids or other substances. Sharing needles is the most dangerous behaviour in terms of getting AIDS .
• Avoid anal intercourse or other direct anal contact. Anal intercourse transmits the virus very efficiently. If you do engage in anal sex, use a  condom every time.
• Use condoms for anal, oral or vaginal sex (if you have sex with women.)
• Choose  sexual activities that do not involve intercourse: hugging, kissing, talking, massaging, wrestling or masturbation.

Continue