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Committee to be headed by Union Cabinet Secretary

 Same-sex marriage: Modi govt tells SC it will set up committee to look into LGBTQIA+ community

Same-sex marriage plea hearing in Supreme Court Modi govt to set up committee to look into LGBTQIA+ issues Committee to be headed by Union Cabinet Secretary
&nbsp;

The government sought suggestions from petitioners on what administrative steps can be taken.

During a hearing in the Supreme Court on the issue of same-sex marriage, the Narendra Modi government said that it would set up a special committee.
The Union government said on May 3, 2023, that the committee would look at administrative steps which can address some concerns of same-sex couples without going into the legalisation of marriage.
The government sought suggestions from petitioners on what administrative steps can be taken.
&nbsp;

Trans flight attendant found dead after sharing an emotional note on social media

Transgender flight attendant found dead after sharing an emotional note

On March 20, Kayleigh Scott shared on social media about her deteriorating mental condition suggesting that she was "taking her final breaths and exiting earth, and therefore, wanted people to remember her for the good memories."

On March 20, Kayleigh Scott posted about her deteriorating mental condition saying she was "taking her final breaths and exiting earth, and therefore, wanted people to remember her for the good memories"

A United Airlines' transgender flight attendant who made headlines in 2020 after appearing in a company commercial on diversity was found dead after sharing an emotional note on social media, as per reports.
On March 20, Kayleigh Scott posted about her deteriorating mental condition saying she was "taking her final breaths and exiting earth, and therefore, wanted people to remember her for the good memories."
"As I take my final breaths and exit this living earth, I would like to apologize to everyone I let down," Scott wrote. "I am so sorry I could not be better. To those that I love, I am sorry I could not be stronger. To those that gave me their everything, I am sorry my effort was not reciprocated. Please understand that me leaving is not a reflection on you, but the result of my own inability to turn myself for the better," Scott wrote in a Facebook post.
Confirming Scott's death, her mother Andrea Sylvestro also shared a heartfelt note remembering her daughter and the odds she fought.
Meanwhile, as per a report in The Independent, the cause of Scott's death is being ascertained.
Kayleigh was reportedly battling depression.
Also <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/watch-naatu-naatu-light-show-by-us-car-maker-tesla-will-surely-make-you-groove-1679304401056">Watch: 'Naatu Naatu' light show by US car maker Tesla will surely make you groove</a>

Historians say between 3,000 and 10,000 gay men died and many were castrated or subjected to horrific "medical" experiments.

In a first, German parliament spotlights Nazis' LGBTQ victims

The German parliament will for the first time on Friday focus its annual Holocaust memorial commemorations on people persecuted and killed for their sexual or gender identity.

Historians say between 3,000 and 10,000 gay men died and many were castrated or subjected to horrific "medical" experiments.

The German parliament will for the first time on Friday focus its annual Holocaust memorial commemorations on people persecuted and killed for their sexual or gender identity.
Campaigners worked for two decades to establish an official ceremony for LGBTQ victims of the Nazis, saying their experience had long been forgotten or marginalised.
"This group is important to me because it still suffers from discrimination and hostility," Baerbel Bas, president of the Bundestag lower house, told AFP.
Germany has officially marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day -- the anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation -- since 1996 with a solemn ceremony at the Bundestag and commemorations across the country.
The event traditionally focuses on the Holocaust's six million Jewish victims, although, at the first ceremony, then-president Roman Herzog did also pay tribute to gay men and lesbians murdered under Adolf Hitler.
Henny Engels of the German Lesbian and Gay Association rights group called Friday's commemoration an "important symbol of recognition" of "the suffering and the dignity of the imprisoned, tortured and murdered victims".
Section 175 of Germany's penal code outlawed sex between men.
Although it dated from 1871, it was rarely enforced and cities such as Berlin during the Weimar Republic had a thriving LGBTQ scene until the Nazis came to power.
In 1935 the Nazis toughened the law to carry a sentence of 10 years of forced labour.
Some 57,000 men were imprisoned, while between 6,000 and 10,000 were sent to concentration camps and given uniforms emblazoned with a pink triangle designating their sexuality.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/united-arab-emirates-says-it-will-teach-holocaust-in-schools-1673269362448">United Arab Emirates says it will teach Holocaust in schools</a>
Historians say between 3,000 and 10,000 gay men died and many were castrated or subjected to horrific "medical" experiments.
Thousands of lesbians, transgender people and sex workers were branded "degenerates" and also imprisoned at the camps under brutal conditions.
Dani Dayan, chairman of Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, said that while Jews were the Nazis' primary target, he welcomed the broadening of Germany's remembrance culture.
"The Holocaust was an onslaught against humanity: LGBTQ individuals, Roma and Sinti, mentally disabled persons, but especially against the Jewish people," he told AFP on a visit to Berlin this week.
"We respect and we honour all the victims."
The head of Germany's Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, agreed that while the main group of Holocaust victims were Jews, "they weren't the only ones".
"It shows that the developments seen in the Nazi period can lead to any societal group being targeted," he told AFP.
Bas will open the ceremony at the glass-domed Reichstag building, followed by a speech from Dutch Jewish survivor Rozette Kats.
Kats, 80, lived out the Holocaust as a toddler in hiding in Amsterdam with adoptive parents while her own mother and father were killed at Auschwitz.
Actors will read texts about two LGBTQ victims who "exemplify" the fate of queer people under Hitler, Bas said.
Klaus Schirdewahn, who was convicted in 1964 over a sexual relationship with another man under a Nazi-era law still on the books, will also tell his story to the chamber.
Bas regretted that there were no LGBTQ survivors of the Nazi period left to address parliament, and noted that gay men, lesbians and transgender people still faced state persecution even decades after the war.
"We will draw attention at the ceremony to the so-called 'gay laws' which were only lifted at a very late date," she said.
"By the time there were reparations, many (victims) were no longer alive."
In 2017, parliament voted to quash the convictions of 50,000 gay men sentenced for homosexuality under Section 175, which remained in force after the war, and offered compensation to victims.
In 2002, a new law overturned their convictions but did not include post-war prosecutions.
Section 175 was finally dropped from the penal code in East Germany in 1968.
In West Germany, it reverted to the pre-Nazi era version in 1969 and was only fully repealed in 1994.

In 1999, 15 people walked around Park Circus Maidan and the queer movement in India took a giant leap forward. We speak with Pawan Dhall, one of the first few walkers at the Kolkata Friendship March 1999! 

The Footnote | Revisiting India's first Pride Parade with Pawan Dhall 

In 1999, 15 people walked around Park Circus Maidan and the queer movement in India took a giant leap forward. We speak with Pawan Dhall, one of the first few walkers at the Kolkata Friendship March 1999!&nbsp;

23 years ago, 15 people took a symbolic round of the Park Circus Maidan, and the queer movement in India turned a began a new chapter in it&rsquo;s history. On this anniversary of the Kolkata Friendship Walk of 1999 we take a trip down memory lane with Pawan Dhall, a queer activist, writer and archivist.&nbsp; &nbsp; Nishtha Shanti: Can you take us back to 1999 and tell us what motivated you to hold the march and what preparation went into it? &nbsp;What was the day like, how did things feel and what was the kind of reaction you got after the parade? &nbsp;&nbsp; Pawan Dhall: I felt that this would have been just another &lsquo;michil&rsquo; or just another procession on the streets of Calcutta. And what big difference would it make? But I came around to the fact that we needed much more public visibility for the Indian queer movements. So, the Fire controversy, the controversy around the film Fire had already happened in the year 1998 and then also it spilled over into 1999. And that had brought the issue, the LGBT issues, into the public forum in one of the biggest ways ever. So, we had in the beginning, we had only 30 people who had agreed to participate. And on the day of the walk, only 15 turned up. And what we decided was that 15 people were not going to make much of a difference walking on the streets. So, we said that let's use this occasion to build bridges. So we did a symbolic walk in Park Circus Maidan, and then we split into two teams. So both the teams visited different NGOs, other social activists and government offices to talk to people to advocate on the issue of LGBT rights, and to explain LGBT rights are nothing different from human rights. The photographs went out all the media publications and one of the members who walked in in the first walk, he actually came out to his family through the walk, actually, because his photograph was also published and his family happened to see it and ask him questions. So, he used that occasion to come out to his family and fortunately he was quite well accepted &nbsp; &nbsp; NS: At the time how did the queer community react to the march? How important is inclusivity of all groups within the movement? &nbsp; &nbsp; PD: Some of the queer support groups said that &lsquo;Oh this is just a Western fad&rsquo; You have pride marches in New York and Sydney and you&rsquo;re just a poor copy of those pride marches. But I personally think that that is not how it was and for us straight acting gay men or bisexual men to be visible on the street and to be visible in public forums, it was something empowering I personally had to face a lot of criticism from fellow gay men that you are walking with lower class people, you are working with hijras, you are working with sex workers. They are not respectable. Is this the way you want to take the movement forward? So, my answer was that it is such a sad thing for you to say this because you guys are so scared all the time you are hiding in the safety of your house. You are running down people who are actually out there fighting for your rights. They are getting beaten up by the police, they are being joked about by the public, but they are facing it with courage and they are walking their pride. And this is actually nothing but misogyny as well as transphobia, which was present among many sections of the queer community and still is actually. &nbsp; &nbsp; NS: Most major cities now have their own parades that are held as a celebration and on a large scale, that largely can be attributed to the step you took all those years ago. How do you feel about queer activism today? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; PD: There were something which the Supreme Court had said in its verdict of September 2018, is that we owe an apology to the queer community for all the stigma, discrimination and violence inflicted on the queer community through the years. But what have the governments done to honor the Supreme Court's verdict either for 2018 or for the NALSA judgment on transgender rights in 2014? It is eight years now, but how many government offices have become transgender inclusive? How many government hospitals have toilets where transgender persons can go confidently without being joked or without being called names? So why would these individuals come to the government hospital &nbsp; if they&rsquo;re not going to be treated with respect? &nbsp;Why does the police come and tell adult Indians that you have to listen to your parents? Be a good boy, be a good girl, get married, have children, that is destiny. That is not the police's job. The police's job is to protect our rights. And we have rights irrespective of gender and sexuality. So, the newer activists have to keep in mind the fundamentals and not be swayed just by the upper, you know, the flimflam, the rainbow colors. That doesn't make any difference at the end of the day.&nbsp;

SC seeks Centre's response on pleas seeking recognition of gay marriages

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on two pleas by gay couples seeking a direction that their marriage be recognised under the special marriage law.

The plea said that non-recognition of same-sex marriages is violative of right to equality and right to life under articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre and Attorney General R Venkataramani on two pleas by gay couples seeking a direction that their marriage be recognised under the special marriage law.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli heard the brief submissions of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi before issuing the notices on the pleas.
The pleas sought direction seeking recognition of the marriage of two gay couples under the the Special Marriage Act.
One plea was filed by gay couple Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay Dang who live in Hyderabad.
The second plea was filed by gay couple Parth Phiroze Mehrotra and Uday Raj.
They seek a direction that the right to marry a person of one&rsquo;s choice be extended to persons belonging to LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and Queer).
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/kolkata-gay-couple-takes-vows-in-an-intimate-ceremony-photos-viral-1656915452076">Kolkata gay couple takes vows in an intimate ceremony, photos viral</a>
The plea said that non-recognition of same-sex marriages is violative of right to equality and right to life under articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court in 2018 had unanimously decriminalised part of the 158-year-old colonial law under Section 377 of the IPC which criminalises consensual unnatural sex.&nbsp;

Rajasthan teacher changes gender to marry student; family accepts marriage

Aarav, a physical education teacher at a school in Bharatpur said everything is fair in love as he married his student Kalpana Fouzdar.

Setting new benchmarks in love, a school teacher in Rajasthan, earlier called Meera, underwent a sex reassignment surgery to become Aarav Kuntal.
Aarav, a physical education teacher at a school in Bharatpur said everything is fair in love as he married his student Kalpana Fouzdar.&nbsp;
On his gender change, Aarav said he knew from childhood that he wanted to be a boy and his first surgery happened in December 2019.
His wife Kalpana said he would have married Aarav even if he had not undergone the surgery.
According to media reports, the marriage has been accepted by their respective families.
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/ncw-chief-says-girls-are-being-auctioned-in-other-parts-of-rajasthan-also-1667230052066">NCW chief says girls are being 'auctioned' in other parts of Rajasthan also</a>

The LGBTQIA+ community is one of the most stigmatised communities in India. They continue to face rejections, slurs and taunts are a part of their daily lives. 


Pride Month: How to make your workplace more LGBT-friendly

Here are some practices that can help make the workplace more inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly.

Pride Month: How to overcome homophobia at workplace

Let's discuss some practices that can help make the workplace more inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly.

For many LGBTQIA+ employees in India, discrimination is a way of life. As getting into job market is a daunting task, as per reports, more than 92% of transgender people experience employment discrimination and mistreatment once they get employment.&nbsp;
According to Section 9 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, transgender people are eligible for any&nbsp;employment opportunity and can contribute to the country&rsquo;s economy. &nbsp;No government or private entity can discriminate against a transgender person in employment matters, including recruitment, and promotion.&nbsp;
An unfriendly work environment can adversely affect the mental health and productivity of queer folks at work.&nbsp;A safe workplace for the LGBTQIA+ community has the potential to become a lifeline.&nbsp;
Here are some practices that can help make the workplace more inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly:
<ul>
<li>Set up specific policies that outline your company&rsquo;s position on LGBTQIA+ rights</li>
<li>Include LGBTQIA+ awareness as a part of the sexual harassment training sessions</li>
<li>Sensitise employees about the LGBTQIA+ community&nbsp;</li>
<li>Create awareness of the harmful effects of homophobia or queerphobia</li>
<li>Recruit people from the queer community with the help of queer support NGOs and placement cells</li>
<li>Set up gender-neutral insurance policies for the LGBTQIA+ employees&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/queerness-and-social-media-what-it-means-to-be-lgbtqia-on-the-internet-today-1623221202131">Queerness and Social Media: What it means to be LGBTQIA+ on the internet today&nbsp;</a>

The Tamil Nadu govt has amended its police officers’ conduct rules to prevent harassment of the LGBTQ+ community by the police.
What is the amendment?
The order issued on February 15 says ‘no police officer shall indulge in any act of harassment of any person belonging to the LGBTQIA+ or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual  Community and the people working for the welfare of thae community.’
The order also states that ‘for the purpose of this rule, harassment doesn’t include the right of police to make an inquiry as per the procedure established by the law.’
What led to the amendment?
The amendment came after a direction from the Madras High Court in August 2021 on a protection plea filed by a lesbian couple. The court had asked the Tamil Nadu govt to add a specific clause in the Police Conduct Rules that any harassment by the police of the persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and the activists and NGO workers, will be treated as misconduct and will entail a punishment.
Earlier protection measures
In June last year the Madras High Court had banned a therapy that claims to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQIA+ community.
The order made Tamil Nadu the first state to ban conversion therapy which is widely available in hospitals and religious institutions.
The Madras High Court also suggested changes in schools and college curricula to sensitise students.

Quixplained: Tamil Nadu’s new rule to protect LGBTQ+ community from police harassment 

&nbsp;
VO:&nbsp;The Tamil Nadu govt has amended its police officers&rsquo; conduct rules to prevent harassment of the LGBTQ+ community by the police.
What is the amendment?
((GFX TEXT: &lsquo;No police officer shall indulge in any act of harassment of the LGBTQIA + Community and the people working for their welfare&rsquo;
-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tamil Nadu police conduct rules ))
VO: The order issued on February 15 says &lsquo;no police officer shall indulge in any act of harassment of any person belonging to the LGBTQIA+ or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual &nbsp;Community and the people working for the welfare of the&nbsp;community.&rsquo;
((GFX TEXT: &lsquo;For the purpose of this rule, harassment doesn&rsquo;t include the right of police to make an inquiry as per the procedure established by the law.&rsquo;
-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tamil Nadu police conduct rules ))
VO: The order also states that &lsquo;for the purpose of this rule, harassment doesn&rsquo;t include the right of police to make an inquiry as per the procedure established by the law.&rsquo;
What led to the amendment?
VO: The amendment came after a direction from the Madras High Court in August 2021 on a protection plea filed by a lesbian couple.
GFX TEXT: &lsquo;A specific clause is to be added that any harassment of the LGBTQIA+ community will be treated as police misconduct and will entail a punishment&rsquo;
-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Madras HC, 2021
VO: The court had asked the Tamil Nadu govt to add a specific clause in the Police Conduct Rules that any harassment by the police of the persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and the activists and NGO workers, will be treated as misconduct and will entail a punishment.
Earlier protection measures
VO: In June last year the Madras High Court had banned a therapy that claims to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQIA+ community.
The order made Tamil Nadu the first state to ban conversion therapy which is widely available in hospitals and religious institutions.
The Madras High Court also suggested changes in school and college curricula to sensitise students.
&nbsp;

Quixplained: Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s new rule to protect LGBTQ+ community from police harassment

The Tamil Nadu govt has amended its police officers&rsquo; conduct rules to prevent harassment of the LGBTQ+ community by the police.
What is the amendment?
The order issued on February 15 says &lsquo;no police officer shall indulge in any act of harassment of any person belonging to the LGBTQIA+ or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual &nbsp;Community and the people working for the welfare of the community.&rsquo;
The order also states that &lsquo;for the purpose of this rule, harassment doesn&rsquo;t include the right of police to make an inquiry as per the procedure established by the law.&rsquo;
What led to the amendment?
The amendment came after a direction from the Madras High Court in August 2021 on a protection plea filed by a lesbian couple. The court had asked the Tamil Nadu govt to add a specific clause in the Police Conduct Rules that any harassment by the police of the persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community and the activists and NGO workers, will be treated as misconduct and will entail a punishment.
Earlier protection measures
In June last year the Madras High Court had banned a therapy that claims to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQIA+ community.
The order made Tamil Nadu the first state to ban conversion therapy which is widely available in hospitals and religious institutions.
Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/no-single-gene-determines-homosexuality-in-a-person-study-1567154267279">No single 'gene' determines homosexuality in a person: Study</a>
The Madras High Court also suggested changes in school and college curricula to sensitise students.

What would we do without social media? Hard to even imagine, right? These platforms have become such an intrinsic part of our lives and have given a space to the LGBTQIA+ community to say, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re queer and we&rsquo;re here!&rdquo; Opening platforms for dialogue, activism, and identity creation, individuals have now found a (relatively) safe space to explore gender, sexuality, existence and pain.
The queer community in India has seen a surge in social media adopters to create spaces that represent the community&rsquo;s needs and wants, bringing them to the forefront. Through the internet, people can now express themselves in ways that are truer to themselves and use it as a medium to challenge the age-old draconian social boundaries.
Video as a medium was once the playground of only Bollywood, where often queer characters were used as comic elements, meant to garner some laughs through slapstick comedy. With the plethora of video (and audio) platforms available today, and the rise of influencers, we are now seeing &lsquo;real&rsquo; voices emerging from within the community to accurately depict their lives and help others to come out of the darkness and into the light, by extending support through conversations and interactions. Every little step taken on social media has such a huge real-time impact, that one cannot help but jump with joy when young children are able to access role models that represent their (often) suppressed inner selves.
These influencers use a blend of art, fashion, comedy, soundtracks, and podcasts as some of the forms of expression to convey views and raise awareness about gender identity. Popular LGBTQIA+ activist,&nbsp;Sushant Divgikar&nbsp;can be seen using several platforms to bring 'drag' to the forefront as a more accessible form of art. A performer and singer, he actively uses his voice to lobby for equality and rights.&nbsp;One of the rising social media influencers, Anwesh Sahoo creates beautiful art illustrations to depict and raise awareness on gender non-conformity. Maitraynee Mahanta is another such influencer whose works reflect a very bold and empowering perspective on queerness.
Apart from being able to create social awareness, the internet platforms like Instagram and Facebook have also aided in developing personal relationships with other LGBTQIA+ individuals and helped create a large virtual family. When queer people are discriminated against at many points in life, the&nbsp;internet has succeeded in providing both the physical and emotional care required to thrive with confidence in online circles. Unrestrained by any boundaries, the LGBTQIA+ have finally found a space through social media and are owning it, one post, live and story at a time.
However, we must add, that while social media is a great space for self-expression, it can also often disappoint. These platforms must work on bettering their policies in order to ensure that trolling, hate comments and violent commentary made against any community is met with stern action.

Queerness and Social Media: What it means to be LGBTQIA+ on the internet today 

What would we do without social media? Hard to even imagine, right? These platforms have become such an intrinsic part of our lives and have given a space to the LGBTQIA+ community to say, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re queer and we&rsquo;re here!&rdquo; Opening platforms for dialogue, activism, and identity creation, individuals have now found a (relatively) safe space to explore gender, sexuality, existence and pain.
The queer community in India has seen a surge in social media adopters to create spaces that represent the community&rsquo;s needs and wants, bringing them to the forefront.&nbsp;
"Social media does play an important role for me to connect with folks more like me, to actually build a community above everything else. And I think especially during Pride month since social media has taken off in India, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, any of these social media platforms, or even Clubhouse for that matter now. It is great that we are able to have these spaces where we can talk about what we are going through, our personal journey and we can look at someone else who has gone through a similar journey and learn a lot from their journey and they can learn a lot from us as well." (Anwesh&nbsp;Sahoo- Visual Designer)&nbsp;&nbsp;
Through the internet, people can now express themselves in ways that are truer to themselves and use it as a medium to challenge the age-old draconian social boundaries.
Video as a medium was once the playground of only Bollywood, where often queer characters were used as comic elements, meant to garner some laughs through slapstick comedy. With the plethora of video (and audio) platforms available today, and the rise of influencers, we are now seeing &lsquo;real&rsquo; voices emerging from within the community to accurately depict their lives and help others to come out of the darkness and into the light, by extending support through conversations and interactions. Every little step taken on social media has such a huge real-time impact, that one cannot help but jump with joy when young children are able to access role models that represent their (often) suppressed inner selves.
These influencers use a blend of art, fashion, comedy, soundtracks, and podcasts as some of the forms of expression to convey views and raise awareness about gender identity. Popular LGBTQIA+ activist,&nbsp;Sushant Divgikar&nbsp;can be seen using several platforms to bring 'drag' to the forefront as a more accessible form of art. A performer and singer, he actively uses his voice to lobby for equality and rights.&nbsp;One of the rising social media influencers, Anwesh Sahoo creates beautiful art illustrations to depict and raise awareness on gender non-conformity. &nbsp;
" I do think that a lot of my work does encompass the idea of the gender spectrum, celebrating gender spectrum, celebrating nonbinary identities, celebrating queer femme folks, and bringing in a healthier representation of them through the popular media. So, I think whatever little popularity or presence I have on the internet, I use it to bring in that positive representation. Because it is missing, let's face it." (Anwesh&nbsp;Sahoo)&nbsp;
Maitraynee Mahanta is another such influencer whose works reflect a very bold and empowering perspective on queerness.
Apart from being able to create social awareness, the internet platforms like Instagram and Facebook have also aided in developing personal relationships with other LGBTQIA+ individuals and helped create a large virtual family. When queer people are discriminated against at many points in life, the&nbsp;internet has succeeded in providing both the physical and emotional care required to thrive with confidence in online circles. Unrestrained by any boundaries, the LGBTQIA+ have finally found a space through social media and are owning it, one post, live and story at a time.
However, we must add, that while social media is a great space for self-expression, it can also often disappoint.
"There are very mean things that sometimes people say especially when you put forth your political views and people just downright brush it off by saying you are a fifty-fifty or why don't you just first decide whether you are a man or a woman and some very insensitive things that people say. Sometimes, I also receive&nbsp;a lot of rape threats which is extremely problematic. I hope that we sort of learn to walk out of that world where we think it is okay for people to or to walk out of a world where we trivialize rape threats, and that's not a good thing to do. We should&nbsp;really be kind to people everywhere, no matter where we meet them, whether offline or online." (Anwesh&nbsp;Sahoo)&nbsp;
These platforms must work on bettering their policies in order to ensure that trolling, hate comments and violent commentary made against any community is met with stern action.
&nbsp;

What would we do without social media? Hard to even imagine, right? These platforms have become such an intrinsic part of our lives and have given a space to the LGBTQIA+ community to say, &ldquo;we&rsquo;re queer and we&rsquo;re here!&rdquo; Opening platforms for dialogue, activism, and identity creation, individuals have now found a (relatively) safe space to explore gender, sexuality, existence and pain.
The queer community in India has seen a surge in social media adopters to create spaces that represent the community&rsquo;s needs and wants, bringing them to the forefront.&nbsp;
"Social media does play an important role for me to connect with folks more like me, to actually build a community above everything else. And I think especially during Pride month since social media has taken off in India, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, any of these social media platforms, or even Clubhouse for that matter now. It is great that we are able to have these spaces where we can talk about what we are going through, our personal journey and we can look at someone else who has gone through a similar journey and learn a lot from their journey and they can learn a lot from us as well." (Anwesh&nbsp;Sahoo- Visual Designer)&nbsp;&nbsp;
Through the internet, people can now express themselves in ways that are truer to themselves and use it as a medium to challenge the age-old draconian social boundaries.
Video as a medium was once the playground of only Bollywood, where often queer characters were used as comic elements, meant to garner some laughs through slapstick comedy. With the plethora of video (and audio) platforms available today, and the rise of influencers, we are now seeing &lsquo;real&rsquo; voices emerging from within the community to accurately depict their lives and help others to come out of the darkness and into the light, by extending support through conversations and interactions. Every little step taken on social media has such a huge real-time impact, that one cannot help but jump with joy when young children are able to access role models that represent their (often) suppressed inner selves.
These influencers use a blend of art, fashion, comedy, soundtracks, and podcasts as some of the forms of expression to convey views and raise awareness about gender identity. Popular LGBTQIA+ activist,&nbsp;Sushant Divgikar&nbsp;can be seen using several platforms to bring 'drag' to the forefront as a more accessible form of art. A performer and singer, he actively uses his voice to lobby for equality and rights.&nbsp;One of the rising social media influencers, Anwesh Sahoo creates beautiful art illustrations to depict and raise awareness on gender non-conformity. &nbsp;
" I do think that a lot of my work does encompass the idea of the gender spectrum, celebrating gender spectrum, celebrating nonbinary identities, celebrating queer femme folks, and bringing in a healthier representation of them through the popular media. So, I think whatever little popularity or presence I have on the internet, I use it to bring in that positive representation. Because it is missing, let's face it." (Anwesh&nbsp;Sahoo)&nbsp;
Maitraynee Mahanta is another such influencer whose works reflect a very bold and empowering perspective on queerness.
Apart from being able to create social awareness, the internet platforms like Instagram and Facebook have also aided in developing personal relationships with other LGBTQIA+ individuals and helped create a large virtual family. When queer people are discriminated against at many points in life, the&nbsp;internet has succeeded in providing both the physical and emotional care required to thrive with confidence in online circles. Unrestrained by any boundaries, the LGBTQIA+ have finally found a space through social media and are owning it, one post, live and story at a time.
However, we must add, that while social media is a great space for self-expression, it can also often disappoint.
"There are very mean things that sometimes people say especially when you put forth your political views and people just downright brush it off by saying you are a fifty-fifty or why don't you just first decide whether you are a man or a woman and some very insensitive things that people say. Sometimes, I also receive&nbsp;a lot of rape threats which is extremely problematic. I hope that we sort of learn to walk out of that world where we think it is okay for people to or to walk out of a world where we trivialize rape threats, and that's not a good thing to do. We should&nbsp;really be kind to people everywhere, no matter where we meet them, whether offline or online." (Anwesh&nbsp;Sahoo)&nbsp;
These platforms must work on bettering their policies in order to ensure that trolling, hate comments and violent commentary made against any community is met with stern action.
&nbsp;

The Centre on Monday sought adjournment from the Delhi High Court for 3 petitions seeking recognition of same-sex marriage.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before the court that as per a High Court circular on Covid, the court was hearing only &lsquo;extremely urgent matter&rsquo;.
Mehta said that the focus of the government is on &lsquo;real urgent issues&rsquo; and nobody is dying because they don&rsquo;t have a marriage certificate.
While the petitioners argued that the matters were sent by the Chief Justice&rsquo;s Bench to the present Bench, the Court adjourned the petitions till July 6th.
Even though homosexuality has been decriminalised under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the state does not recognise same-sex marriages. The 3 petitions seek marriage equality under the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act and Foreign Marriage Act. The Central government has opposed the petitions on grounds that there is no fundamental right to same-sex marriage.

Delhi: Centre belittles same-sex marriage pleas, says no one dying for want of marriage certificate

//Delhi HC adjourns&nbsp;petitions seeking marriage equality&nbsp; //Centre: govt focus is on 'real urgent issues' due to Covid-19&nbsp; //Centre argues 'no one dying for want of marriage certificate' //Petitioners argued matter was sent by Chief Justice's Bench&nbsp; //Delhi HC adjourned&nbsp;the matter till July 6th&nbsp; //Petitions seek marriage equality under existing laws&nbsp; //Centre says no fundamental right to same-sex marriage&nbsp;

The Centre on Monday sought adjournment from the Delhi High Court for 3 petitions seeking recognition of same-sex marriage.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before the court that as per a High Court circular on Covid, the court was hearing only &lsquo;extremely urgent matter&rsquo;.
Mehta said that the focus of the government is on &lsquo;real urgent issues&rsquo; and nobody is dying because they don&rsquo;t have a marriage certificate.
While the petitioners argued that the matters were sent by the Chief Justice&rsquo;s Bench to the present Bench, the Court adjourned the petitions till July 6th.
Even though homosexuality has been decriminalised under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the state does not recognise same-sex marriages. The 3 petitions seek marriage equality under the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act and Foreign Marriage Act. The Central government has opposed the petitions on grounds that there is no fundamental right to same-sex marriage and legal recognition can not be given by court.&nbsp;

Same Sex Marriage: Against Our Culture? | BOOM

"All the privileges that this country/society allows people are within the framework of marriage like adopting a baby or getting a home loan together - you can't do it if you are only living together," says queer feminist activist Rituparna Borah of Nazariya on Right To Marriage for LGBTQIA+ couples. Watch what queer folx have to say about the resistance to same sex marriage registration.

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