Time for Desi Pride

Today there are Gay Pride parades all over, and this is my tribute.

For some context, here is an excellent piece from the New York Times.
40 Years later, still second class Americans.


For those of you who like video, here is Colbert on the topic:



And finally, here is a heartwarming love story from India of two women in love with each other who were finally able to find a place and jobs and "get to be who they are".

Hopefully soon the Indian Govt. will repeal the law that keeps gay people in India from being themselves. Or maybe we need our own Stonewall incident?

Gay? Fine by HC

In pretty much the only good piece of news I read today, the Delhi High Court has asked the VHP, which opposes gays, to substantiate their claim that "gay sex causes bodily injury". From the article:

Senior Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader B.P. Singhal, representing the VHP, was pulled up by the division bench headed by Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S. Muralidhar who were hearing a petition filed by Naz foundation to decriminalize gay sex among consenting adults, considered an offence at present.

"In several countries where the ban has been lifted (from gay sex), no one has claimed that the act is injurious. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) does not say that it causes injuries to people involved in such acts," the bench said.

Maybe Mr. Singhal is talking about gay-rape causing injury, but is ashamed to admit it. It is high time Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which "provides punishment up to life imprisonment for indulging in gay sex" was repealed.

While the cause of gay rights progressed just a bit in India, it suffered a setback in California, with Proposition 8 succeeding, which seeks to overturn the California Supreme Court's May decision allowing same-sex marriage.

The shocker, a majority [ref: B] of the african american and latinos voted to deny this right to the gays. From another article article:

Exit poll data showed seven in 10 black voters and more than half of Latino voters backed the ballot initiative, while whites and Asians were split.

Though blacks and Latinos combined make up less than one-third of California's electorate, their opposition to same-sex marriage appeared to tip the balance. Both groups decisively backed Obama regardless of their position on the initiative.

Obama has said he is not in favor of gay marriage but supports civil unions. The president-elect opposed Proposition 8.

Apparently, religious beliefs make you forget that you yourself were/are discriminated against. In case you missed this, watch this daily show video again.

Change has come to American, but a lot still needs to be done.