Achieving The Goal Of Equality For The LGBTQ Community A Distant Dream: Justice DY Chandrachud

Speaking at an event organised to commemorate the historic 2018 verdict that decriminalised homosexuality, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that achieving the goal of equality for the LGBTQ community requires more effort. A quick look at Indian laws presents a glaring reality when it comes to ensuring equality for the LGBTQ tribe; if the absence of gender-neutral language in the lawmaking is one thing, social acceptance is the other part of the problem. 

Referring to the famous Beatles number, All you need is love; Justice Chandrachud quipped that, perhaps, "we need a little more than love".

Justice Chandrachud’s observations present the reality that the LGBTQ community goes through daily. While homosexuality has been decriminalised, the sensitive subject is mainly dealt with a dash of caricaturish attitude. Take popular culture or movies for reference, and you will find that most of the time, a homosexual character is added to the plot to bring the element of comic relief. Mostly, the props used are loud physical humorous undertones to invoke laughter. Dismissive queer jokes are pretty common too. And when it comes to the queer community, their inclusion in the laws is missing too. Not just the law, as Justice Chandrachud rightly points out, queers are also denied access to public places, "the presence of queer individuals in public spaces must be the norm rather than the exception," he adds.

Before concluding his speech, Justice Chandrachud emphasised that the understanding of a family unit must change to include myriad ways in which individuals forge familial bonds. 

Justice Chandrachud’s words hold true in today’s diverse and cosmopolitan Indian society. While the legal framework may take time to absorb the LGBTQ community, the greater responsibility to change our attitude towards the LGBTQ community lies on us. Although the goal of equality appears to be a distant dream, for now, starting a dialogue around the sensitive topic can go a long way to bridge the gap in making today's dream possible.