UNDERSTANDING LGBTQ+

COMMUNITY
Submitted to : Dr. Shyam Kiran Kaur

Submitted by:
● Prabal Rawal (21103111)
● Prashant Prabhakar (21103112)
● Prateek Singh (21103113)
● Pratham Khandelwal (21103114)
● Preetkamal Singh Sandhu (21103115)
● Prerna Jaiswal (21103116)
● Priyam Rai (21103117)
● Priyanshu Maurya (21103118)
● Radhika Rawat (21103119)
● Rahul (21103120)

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology
CONTENTS
1. Introduction 4
2. Brief History about the LGBTQ+ community 9
3. Historic LGBTQ+ moments through the years 10
4. Key historical moments in Indian LGBTQ+ Rights Movement 11
5. Fundamental judgements in india on LGBTQ 13
6. Misconceptions and Myths about the community 15
7. Social Media, For Change? 17
8. Does Legalisation Equals Acceptance 20
9. Famously Out and Proud LGBTQ+ personalities 24
10. Ignorance Isn’t Bliss 26
11. References
Introduction to LGBTQ+ community 󰝲
The word LGBTQ+ stands for (Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual , Transgender, Queer
and other questioning youth.)

Let's have a quick overview definition on each gender :

● Lesbian: A woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional

attraction is to other women.
● Gay: The adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical,
romantic, and or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex.
● Bisexual: A person who has the capacity to form enduring physical,
romantic, and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to
those of another gender.
● Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and or
gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex
they were assigned at birth.
● Queer: An adjective used by some people whose sexual orientation is not
exclusively heterosexual. .
● Pansexual: A pansexual is someone who can be attracted to males, females,
transgender people and those who identify as non-binary (not female or
male).
People also often introduce themselves using “pronouns” during any
conversation.
A pronoun is a word that refers to either the people talking (I or you) or someone
or something that is being talked about (like she, it, them, and this). Lets see
some of them :
● he/him/his , she/her/hers , they/them/theirs , she/they or he/they
 LGBTQ+ community

The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community,

GLBT community, or the gay community) is a loosely defined
grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, LGBT
organizations, and subcultures, united by a common culture and
social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride,
diversity , individuality, and sexualtiy . LGBTQ activists and
sociologists see LGBT community-building as a counterweight to
hetrosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and
confromtism pressures that exist in the larger society.
LGBTQ+ FLAGS
Pride flag
Each of the flag’s original six colors
had a meaning: red for life, orange
for healing, yellow for sun, green for
nature, blue for peace, and purple
for spirit.

❖ Designed By: Gilbert Baker

❖ Adopted: 1978
In some countries they have different flags for different gender communities

Flag of the United

Gay pride flag Gay pride flag
States, re-colored with
variant used in variant used in
the colors from the
spain Israel
gay-pride flag
 Brief History About The Community
● Prior to the 1960s there was no widely used non-derogatory term for individuals
that didn’t identify themselves as heterosexual.
● Throughout history, each group represented in LGBTQ+ community had to struggle
to find its own identity and was not always welcomed by the larger collective .

EVOLUTION OF TERMS

BISEXUAL/TRANSGEN
HOMOPHILE GAY/LESBIAN DERS
LGBTQ+
1950-1960s 1970s Late 1980s 1990s-
Historic LGBTQ+ moments through the years

1969 1987 1989 1997 2003 2013

Attention to Legalising
Stonewall 1st country Ellen show : Rights to
AIDS related same-sex marraige
First show privacy and
outrage to legalise The US federally
issue featuring decriminalizing
LGBTQ “homosexual”
recognizes same-sex
Police raid the gay/lesbian marriages, extending
ACT UP, a
Denmark behavior. federal benefits to
stonewall inn in direct-action Ellen DeGeneres
becomes the and her television couples in states that
new york activist group, is The U.S.
first country in allow same-sex
Protests and founded in the character, Ellen Supreme Court
the world to marriage. Supreme
demonstrations LGBT Community Morgan, come overturns Court takes down
legally recognize out. Ellen sodomy laws,
begin,known as Center in New Defense of Marriage
same-sex becomes the first proclaiming Act signed by
the impetus for York City to bring
unions, after television show to rights to privacy President Bill Clinton
attention to
the gay civil passing a bill feature a lesbian and in 1996 prohibiting
AIDS-related
rights movement legalizing decriminalizing same-sex couples
issues using civil or gay lead
in the United “registered “homosexual” from receiving
disobedience character. The federal marriage
States. partnerships” show is cancelled behavior.
benefits.
the following year.
 Key Historic Moments in The Indian LGBTQ+ Rights Movement

1986 1990 1999 1999 2016 2018

Coming out, The First Gay Queer Healthcare Section 377

First Pride The Transgender
in Public Magazine
Anthropologist Naisargi
Rights Bill
Due to inception Dave noted in her book The first LGBT While the Indian The Supreme
Coming Out, In Public
of magzine “Queer Activism in Pride March of government has refused Court, in a
In 1986, while the
West was seized by “bombay dost” it India,” that that during Indian queer to embrace landmark
an international community held homosexuality, there have
the AIDS scare and a became popular . judgement on
conference on AIDS in been some recent
rapidly sparking However, the in 1999 in September 6, 2018,
1992 in New Delhi, 200 initiatives to establish the
homophobia, closet is still a Calcutta. It was a unanimously struck
delegates staged a transgender population.
homosexuality had tiny group of 15
reality for many walk-out “to protest the The Transgender Rights down part of the
officially emerged as people, but it Bill of 2016 was a
gay men in India, government’s stand on Section 377 of the
an identity in India. grew the number watershed moment in
Veteran journalist and Bombay Dost homosexuality.” It led Indian Penal Code
above 1500 in LGBTQ rights, for bringing
Ashok Kavi Row staff make sure to to more demands for
the issue of trans (IPC) which
deliver each issue health-care options for just few time as it
explained for the first self-determination into criminalised gay
time the meaning of in “a men who have sex with caused rage public discourse. But it sex, saying that it
the word “gay,” was non-transparent men, and the need to across the was also a massive
address the unique violated the
published in the envelope to country . disappointment, built on a
February issue of a healthcare challenges largely incomplete constitutional right
maintain
magazine called Savvy. of queer-identified understanding of self to equality and
confidentiality”. persons. determination.. dignity.
 Stonewall Outrage
Legalising Same Sex Marriage

Abolition of Section 377

Bombay Dost Magazine The Transgender Rights Bill

Fundamental Judgements in India related to LGBTQ
1861
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, was introduced which
made it an offence for a person to voluntarily have "carnal
intercourse against the order of nature."

2009 The Delhi High Court decision in Naz Foundation v. Govt. of NCT of
Delhi of 2009 found Section 377 and other legal prohibitions against
private, adult, consensual, and non-commercial same-sex conduct to
be in direct violation of fundamental rights provided by the Indian
2013
Constitution.

On 11 December 2013, the Supreme Court set aside the 2009

Delhi High Court order decriminalising consensual homosexual
activity within its jurisdiction.
2018

On 6 September 2018, the Supreme Court issued its

verdict.The court unanimously ruled that section 377 is
unconstitutional as it infringed on the fundamental rights
of autonomy, intimacy, and identity, thus legalising
homosexuality in India.The court explicitly overturned its
2018 2013 judgement.

In late December 2018, Member of Parliament

Jagdambika Pal (BJP) introduced a bill to the Indian
Parliament to amend the Army Act 1950, the Navy Act
1957 and the Air Force Act that would allow LGBTQ+
people to serve in the Armed Forces. The Bill by lapsed in
the Lok Sabha
 Misconceptions and myths about the community
Myth: LGBT people can be easily identified by certain mannerisms or physical
characteristics.

Fact: LGBT people come in as many different shapes, colors, and sizes as do non-LGBT folks. There
is, however, a vibrant LGBT community and culture (clothing, jewelry, language).

Myth: All gay men are feminine and all lesbians are masculine.

Fact: Research shows that sexual identity refers to how one thinks of oneself in terms to whom one is
or is not emotionally, socially, psychologically and physically, and is not determined by someone’s
gender expression.

Myth: Being LGBTQ+ is just a phase and choice.

Fact: This misconception is especially prescribed to adolescents as they are labeled as “misguided”
and “confused” for feeling a sexual attraction to someone of the same sex. However research has
concluded that being a LGBTQ individual is an identity and not a choice.
Myth: Being LGBTQ+ is a psychological disorder or a mental issue.

Fact: For the past forty years, the world has recognised that homosexual and bisexual
orientations are normal variants of human sexuality. There is nothing inherently
pathological about being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Myth: Coming out happens only once.

Fact: Coming out is a process, it is not linear, it is not one and done. It occurs at different
points and different rates in one’s life. It is unique for each individual and can happen all at
once or more commonly in phases.

Myth: The majority of self-identified LGBT people are white Americans and
Europeans.

Fact: People attracted to others of the same sex exists in all cultures and communities.
However, the mainstream U.S. media and many gay publications fail to be inclusive of
LGBT people of color.
 Social Media, For Change?
Digital giants including Amazon, Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft, Twitter,
YouTube and Wikipedia have failed to clamp down on anti-LGBTQ disinformation
about so-called ‘conversion therapy’.
LGBTQ youth are almost three times more likely to be harassed online than their
straight, cisgender peers. This can result in increased rates of depression and feelings
of suicide: 56% of sexual minorities experience depression, and 35% experience
suicidal thoughts as a direct result of cyberbullying.
According to a report from GLAAD , an LGBQ media advocacy group , five of the world’s
leading social media platform are “effectively unsafe for LGBTQ users” . GLAAD
evaluated “LGBTQ saftey experince “ of facebook , twitter tiktok and youtube . the report
concluded the entire community unsafe -were identifying the prevalence and intensity of
hate speech and harassment as the most significant problem in urgent need of
improvement across social media platform .
For some lgbtq people, social media offers a space where they can be out and
proud , even if they aren’t out offline. Anthony, who is the part of thriving
“LQBTQ+” community said, “I was fortunate to have found a group of people who
could understand the confusion I felt about coming out“.
But still there’s a major part of community that feels unsafe and uncomfortable in
using social media platform. Every user needs to collectively recognize and have
respect for LGBTQ people.The companies set boundaries and work on their
policies and guidelines. So that social media can become a safe place for every
community irrespective of their gender.
Despite the risk of online harassment and isolation, social media can give LGBTQ
youth space to explore their sexual identities and promote mental well-being.
Does Legalisation Equals Acceptance?
Homosexuality was firstly decriminalized back in 2009, after a decision of the
Indian Supreme Court; which invalided the section 377 of the LGBTQ+
community that used to criminalize same-sex intercourses and was voted in by
the British colonists. But a few years after this major law, the ISC decided to
review its previous ruling : in 2013, homosexuality was a crime, once more.
Happily, in September 2018, the Supreme Court once again decided to review
this 2013 decision, and stated that homosexuality was legal again, and that
discrimination based on a sexual orientation was a violation of fundamental
rights : victory!
This legalization, even though it has made a lot of people happy in India, and
across the world, these people mostly came from cities where it was easier
to celebrate this victory, but also where they were many more to celebrate
it.
Even though, the "third sex” is currently recognized, trans people are
.

definitely not fully accepted, and even often go through atrocious

“modern” tortures.The most shocking thing that is about the case of trans
people who suffer from HIV and consequently have to go through a
double discrimination, for being infected which is a topic that remains
sadly taboo in India, but also have to deal with discrimination coming from
the gender they identify with, that doesn’t always match with their
appearance.
Homosexuality legalization is the first step from India towards acceptance;
yet the country still has a long way to go before it reaches an actual and
genuine acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. We are certain that there
is still a difference between all the articles and essays which exists - most
of them being rather optimistic and evoking a progress in their
acceptance - and their actual daily life.
Some general referendums post legalisation:
Famously Out And Proud LGBTQ+ Personalities:
Manvendra Singh Gohli: He is
the first openly gay prince of
India. The Lakshya Trust is
run by him which that lends
help to LGBT community. He
opened the Euro Pride for
gay.
Ellen Lee DeGeneres: She is an
American comedian, television
host, actress, writer, and
producer. She starred in the
sitcom Ellen from 1993 to 1998
and has hosted her syndicated
television talk show The Ellen
Degeneres Show, since 2003.
Gauri Sawant: Gauri Sawant
is a transgender activist from
Mumbai. She is the director of
Sakhi Char Chowghi that helps
transgender people and people
with AIDS. She was made the
goodwill ambassador of
Election Commission in
Maharashtra
Vikram Seth: Vikram Seth
CBE, FRSL is an Indian novelist
and poet. He has written
several novels and poetry
books. He has received several
awards such as Padma Shri,
Sahitya Academy Award,
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman,
WH Smith Literary Award and
Crossword Book Award.
Thomas Robert Daley: He
is a British diver and
television personality.
Specialising in multiple
events, he is an Olympic
gold medallist in the men's
synchronized 10-metre
platform event at the 2020
Olympics,making him the
first British diver to win four
Olympic medals.
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi:
She is a transgender/Hijra
rights activist, bollywood
actress, Bharatanatyam
dancer, choreographer and
motivational speaker in
Mumbai, India. She is also
the Acharya
Mahamandaleshwar of
kinnar akhada.
Ignorance Isn’t Bliss
It is an encouraging sign that schools and colleges have begun to take up
institutionally approved LGBT activism. Rohit Revi, one of the founders of
Orenda, the gender and sexuality club at IIT Gandhinagar, says without
LGBT activism in educational institutions, LGBT issues largely remain
“untalkaboutable".

“Bridging the gap between academic knowledge and everyday experience

means we need people to question stereotypes. Say, for example, the
rampant telling of homophobic jokes. We need people to pause and ask
what’s so funny about such an oppressive take. We need our allies to point
out that such behaviour costs us our freedom and dignity. Creating a
critical mass of such an aware group is an important part of on-campus
activism," says Revi.
 .

Redefining the family and its role

The fundamental problem is that parents have a hard time accepting
their children as sexual beings. So, any talk of sexuality and sexual or
gender identity is thwarted and wrapped in shame. This is where the
guilt and confusion begins. If children ask uncomfortable questions,
most parents hush and silence them. Parents need to learn to listen
and let their children open up about difficult issues.
Considering TV and movies are accessible to even rural populations
these could prove to be the most effective tools in redefining the roles
and attitudes of families through programmes and stories that can
relay LGBT experiences in authentic and varied voices.
Movies / shows references
References
https://www.globalcitizen.org/fr/content/india-helps-lgbt-hiv-aids-health/

https://gaycenter.org/about/lgbtq/

https://blog.ipleaders.in/evolution-of-lgbt-rights-in-india-and-taking-the-narrative-forward-living-free-and-equal/

https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/history/info-2019/lgbt-pride-key-moments.html

https://www.volvogroup.com/en/news-and-media/news/2021/jun/lgbtq-pride-flags-and-what-they-stand-for.ht
ml

https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/sAYrieZdZKEybKzhP8FDbP/Being-Ltom%20daleyBT-in-India-Some-home-t
ruths.html

https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/LGBTQ-History-Timeline-References.pdf

https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/1104-How-many-LGBT-FIG-4.png

https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/four-misconceptions-about-lgbt-health