Freedom to love takes root

The landmark ’18 verdict prompted LGBT people across India to seek their rights from courts and society. The key to this advancement were residents of small towns and villages

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“I≠don’t≠understand≠t◢e≠̂aw≠too≠muc◢ and≠◢adn’t≠fô̂owed≠t◢e≠case.≠but≠rȩ◢a câ̂ed≠me≠up≠t◢at≠day≠and≠sa[dp≠we≠are not≠cr[m[nâs≠anymore.≠even≠our≠̂ocâ papers≠carr[ed≠b[↘≠news≠[tems≠t◢at≠day. It≠↘ave≠me≠◢opep”≠sa[d≠tudu.≠

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Many≠of≠t◢ese≠peop̂e≠◢a[̂≠from≠smâ̂ towns≠and≠t◢e≠countrys[dep≠w◢o≠◢ave used≠t◢e≠̂aw≠forcefû̂y≠and≠creat[vêy≠to expand≠t◢e≠◢or[zon≠of≠lgbt≠r[↘◢ts.≠

Communityňseeksňlegalňhelpň

In≠jûy≠t◢[s≠yearp≠t◢e≠dê◢[≠◢[↘◢≠court ◢êped≠protect≠an[ta≠kumar[≠and≠◢er partnerp≠pr[yaņa≠s[n↘◢p≠bot◢≠res[dents of≠gaya≠town≠[n≠b[◢ar.≠kumar[p≠23p≠was [n≠◢er≠t◢[rd≠year≠of≠cô̂e↘e≠w◢en≠◢er parents≠pû̂ed≠◢er≠out≠after≠s◢e≠came out≠as≠̂esb[an.≠

S◢e≠was≠̂oçed≠upp≠prevented≠from meet[n↘≠s[n↘◢p≠25p≠sexuâ̂y≠abused≠by ◢er≠cous[ns≠and≠t◢reatened≠by≠◢er≠s[ster and≠mot◢er.≠after≠f[ve≠mont◢sp≠kumar[ escaped≠and≠went≠to≠̂[ve≠[n≠dê◢[≠w[t◢ S[n↘◢.≠

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On≠jûy≠¯p≠t◢e≠jud↘e≠perm[tted≠â̂≠◢er requests.≠“t◢e≠pet[t[oner≠[s≠a≠major≠and [f≠s◢e≠◢as≠d[fferent≠sexuâ≠or[entat[onp s◢e≠[s≠at≠̂[berty≠to≠̂[ve≠[n≠t◢e≠manner≠as s◢e≠w[s◢esp”≠jud↘e≠mu̧ta≠gupta≠sa[d.≠

“My≠dec[s[on≠to≠̂eave≠my≠◢ouse≠was not≠made≠on≠t◢e≠spur≠of≠t◢e≠moment.≠i ̧new≠t◢at≠t◢e≠on̂y≠way≠i≠coûd≠̂[ve≠w[t◢ safety≠ w[t◢≠ my≠ partner≠ was≠ [f≠ I≠ ran away.≠ But≠ my≠ fam[̂y≠ cont[nued≠ to t◢reaten≠ my≠ partner≠ and≠ me.≠ It≠ was on̂y≠after≠t◢e≠court≠a↘reed≠to≠protect≠us t◢at≠i≠fêt≠safep”≠sa[d≠kumar[.≠

S≠sus◢ma≠and≠u≠seema≠a↘arvâp≠two un[vers[ty≠students≠from≠t◢e≠rurâ≠parts of≠madura[≠d[str[ct≠[n≠tam[̂≠nadup≠âso successfû̂y≠used≠t◢e≠2018≠jud↘ment≠to protect≠t◢e[r≠̂[ves≠and≠rêat[ons◢[ps≠–≠[n t◢e≠process≠âso≠secur[n↘≠sweep[n↘≠protect[ons≠for≠t◢e≠commun[ty.≠ T◢e≠women≠met≠[n≠2019≠and≠fê̂≠[n ̂ove≠but≠batt̂ed≠f[erce≠d[sapprovâ≠from t◢e[r≠conservat[ve≠fam[̂[es.≠on≠february≠ 9P≠ t◢ey≠ ran≠ away≠ from≠ ◢ome≠ to C◢enna[p≠but≠bot◢≠sets≠of≠fam[̂[es≠f[̂ed m[ss[n↘≠ person≠ FIRS≠ [n≠ two≠ separate pô[ce≠stat[onsp≠prompt[n↘≠pô[cemen≠to travê≠to≠c◢enna[≠to≠traç≠t◢em≠down.

On≠ June≠ 8P≠ just[ce≠ N≠ Anand≠ Veņates◢≠dê[vered≠a≠jud↘ment≠t◢at≠was remaŗab̂e≠for≠two≠reasons.≠onep≠t◢e jud↘e≠undertoo̧≠counsê̂[n↘≠to≠understand≠t◢e≠[dent[ty≠and≠concom[tant≠vûnerab[̂[t[es≠of≠t◢e≠pet[t[oners.≠twop≠◢e [ssued≠d[rect[ons≠to≠a≠ŝew≠of≠state≠and centrâ≠ a↘enc[es≠ to≠ frame≠ ↘u[dê[nes t◢at≠reco↘n[se≠t◢e≠r[↘◢ts≠of≠lgbt≠peop̂ep≠and≠ensure≠t◢e[r≠safety≠and≠secur[ty.≠

Battleňagainstňprejudiceňon

In≠ t◢e≠ ̂ast≠ t◢ree≠ yearsp≠ peop̂e≠ ◢ave approac◢ed≠◢[↘◢≠courts≠[n≠rajast◢anp DÊ◢[P≠ Mumba[p≠ Â̂a◢abadp≠ C◢◢att[s↘ar◢p≠ Gujaratp≠ C◢enna[p≠ Kô̧ata≠ and Od[s◢a≠–≠seȩ[n↘≠to≠vâ[date≠t◢e[r≠r[↘◢ts and≠rebuff≠parentâ≠and≠soc[â≠censurep â̂≠on≠t◢e≠bas[s≠of≠t◢[s≠̂andmaŗ≠verd[ct.

“T◢e≠◢[↘◢≠courts≠◢ave≠ta̧en≠very≠̂[berâ≠and≠pro↘ress[ve≠pos[t[ons…t◢ey’re s◢ow[n↘≠ t◢e≠ way≠ t◢at≠ t◢[n↘s≠ can c◢an↘ep”≠sa[d≠manuraj≠sp≠a≠̂awyer≠at≠t◢e Madras≠ ◢[↘◢≠ court≠ w◢o≠ fou↘◢t≠ on be◢âf≠of≠t◢e≠madura[≠women≠pet[t[oners.≠

He≠referred≠to≠anot◢er≠2019≠verd[ct by≠t◢e≠madura[≠benc◢≠of≠t◢e≠madras ◢[↘◢≠courtp≠w◢[c◢≠up◢êd≠t◢e≠marr[a↘e of≠ a≠ man≠ and≠ a≠ trans↘ender≠ woman under≠t◢e≠h[ndu≠marr[a↘e≠actp≠rêy[n↘ on≠t◢e≠navtej≠jo◢ar≠jud↘mentp≠amon↘ ot◢ers.≠

“For≠yearsp≠lgbt≠[ssues≠◢ave≠been projected≠as≠ê[te≠and≠from≠t◢e≠west. But≠ t◢e≠ Sus◢ma≠ and≠ Seema≠ case s◢owed≠t◢at≠[t≠wasn’t≠t◢e≠case.≠t◢ere≠[s a≠deepen[n↘≠and≠democrat[s[n↘≠of≠t◢ese r[↘◢ts.≠t◢at≠t◢e≠madura[≠benc◢≠of≠t◢e Hc≠↘ave≠suc◢≠a≠pro↘ress[ve≠jud↘ment ↘[ves≠us≠◢ope≠t◢at≠t◢ese≠jud↘ments≠are percôat[n↘≠ [n≠ rurâ≠ and≠ smâ̂er re↘[onsp≠and≠peop̂e≠are≠̂earn[n↘≠about a≠ more≠ fa[rer≠ and≠ equâ≠ soc[etyp”≠ ◢e sa[d.≠

To≠be≠surep≠t◢ere≠are≠st[̂̂≠b[↘≠str[des to≠ be≠ ta̧en≠ to≠ ensure≠ d[↘n[ty≠ and respect≠for≠queer≠̂[fe.≠trans↘ender≠fô̧s cont[nue≠to≠batt̂e≠prejud[ce≠[n≠emp̂oymentp≠ educat[onp≠ ◢ous[n↘≠ and≠ ◢eât◢ fac[̂[t[es.≠t◢e≠2019≠trans↘ender≠r[↘◢ts ̂aw≠[s≠unĉear≠on≠pun[s◢ments≠for≠d[scr[m[nat[onp≠ ◢as≠ been≠ cr[t[c[zed≠ for focus[n↘≠on≠med[câ≠c◢eçs≠for≠[ssu[n↘ trans↘ender≠cert[f[cate≠and≠st[pûat[n↘ ̂ower≠pun[s◢ment≠for≠cr[mes≠a↘a[nst transpeop̂e.≠

Manuraj≠po[nted≠out≠t◢at≠t◢e≠2018 jud↘ment≠ coûd≠ ◢ave≠ protected≠ c[v[̂ r[↘◢ts≠ suc◢≠ as≠ marr[a↘e≠ and≠ [n◢er[tancep≠but≠stopped≠s◢ort.≠and≠pet[t[ons to≠ ̂e↘â[se≠ same-sex≠ marr[a↘e≠ ◢ave been≠pend[n↘≠before≠t◢e≠dê◢[≠and≠kerâa≠◢[↘◢≠courts≠for≠over≠a≠yearp≠w[t◢≠t◢e Un[on≠↘overnment≠staunc◢̂y≠oppos[n↘ suc◢≠a≠move.≠

ST[̂̂P≠ t◢e≠ pos[t[ve≠ soc[â≠ ̂[fe≠ of≠ t◢e 2018≠verd[ct≠–≠[t≠was≠sp̂as◢ed≠across newspapersp≠extens[vêy≠d[scussed≠on têev[s[on≠ and≠ co[nc[ded≠ w[t◢≠ r[s[n↘ acceptance≠ of≠ queernessp≠ espec[â̂y amon↘≠youn↘≠peop̂e≠–≠◢as≠◢êped≠cut t◢rou↘◢≠t◢e≠st[↘ma≠̂on↘≠attac◢ed≠w[t◢ ◢omosexuâ[ty≠and≠m[t[↘ate≠t◢e≠cyĉe≠of s◢amep≠b̂açma[̂≠and≠pô[ce≠brutâ[ty. “W[t◢out≠t◢e≠navtej≠jo◢ar≠jud↘mentp none≠of≠t◢[s≠woûd≠◢ave≠been≠poss[b̂ep” sa[d≠manuraj.≠

SARANG GUPTA/HT