Article: Socio Cultural Influence on Perception (AT)

Why is the LGBTQ+ community not widely accepted in India??

Does one's culture really affect the way we perceive and view things in society?
Cultural differences influence perception by creating lived experiences that teach
certain beliefs, values, behaviors, and communication styles. These differences
influence the way that people view the world around them.

LGBTQ+ is a growing topic especially among the new generation. With growing
support and a lot of people opening up to the idea, Most Indians are still against
this notion. But why is this so? Why is it that India is not that keen towards this
community?

One of the main reasons can be directed to the lack of awareness. Many late
adults came to know about this topic after coming in their late twenties. This
minimizes the chances of understanding and having an open mindset. It’s also
hard to understand a foreign concept after being so conditioned to something
that's the complete opposite.

Main prejudice/ lack of

understanding is shown by
family members. Studies show
that even in a current urban
India, one of the major factors
of stigmatization of
homosexuality is the reaction
from one’s own family
members. In many families,
members of the LGBTQ+
community are only accepted
if they agree to “behave like
heterosexuals''.

Parents treat this topic as if it's a taboo. Because of this behavior, kids think that
it's a “bad thing” and something “unacceptable”. It also makes it harder for the
queer kids to come out and talk about this topic with their parents.
A lot of parents even take severe actions by sending them to conversion camps,
treating it like a mental illness, or getting them married forcefully. Many rural
people tend to abandon their children. Even in urban families, kids can get
outcasted or cut off.

Even though mentions of homosexuality were mentioned in Indian scripts and

stories, it became quite ‘abnormal’ and ‘alien’ after the colonization of the aryan’s
and britishers. Back in the 1800’s, the Manusmriti there are references to
punishments like loss of caste, heavy monetary fines and strokes of the whip for
queer behavior.

Because of such harsh punishments, shown throughout history, we are taught to

see and follow such rules.

Since topics like these were never talked about in Indian households and people
knew about the strict consequences they could receive talking about it, many
people in India grew up not understanding this topic, and treating it like an alien
object.

Another reason for the hostile nature could

be due to religion. Many religious people
seem to blame religion when they want to
justify something they don't want others
doing. They tend to defend their argument
by saying things like, how “unnatural” or
“how they are going against hindu culture”.

When you grow up with this kind of hostility, and negativity towards a topic, you
tend to perceive it as a “bad” thing and not try to understand/ educate yourself.
Many Indians grew up with this conservative notion, and it becomes really hard
for them to break out of this Idea.

In Indian culture, being accepted by the society is something our families heavily
focus on, since this topic is not as widely accepted, many parents don't support
their children so that they don't get looked down upon by the society.
There have been many times where the community was badly highlighted by the
media which further more ingrained into people’s mindset. All of these factors
together, build this idea about the LGBTQ+ community in their heads, and this
idea seems to get passed on to generation after generation.

Now why is it that India, a country with a growing economy still facing such
issues. Why is it that western countries or other countries are more accepting
than India?

A main factor concludes

how wealthy one’s
country is. Data suggests
how wealthy countries
tend to be more open
minded and accepting
that poorer countries.
This may be because
wealthier countries have
the time and money to
invest on spreading
awareness and making better laws for these communities.

Other aspects can be culture, Religious and traditional values play a significant
role in shaping attitudes toward LGBT individuals. In some Western countries,
there has been a trend toward greater secularization and a separation of church
and state. In contrast, in some Asian countries, religious and traditional values
may hold significant influence in public life, and some religious beliefs may
oppose homosexuality.

Western countries also have a longer history of LGBT activism and social
awareness campaigns, which have contributed to increased acceptance and
visibility.
In some Asian countries, LGBT activism may be more nascent or face greater
societal resistance, making it more challenging to achieve widespread
acceptance.
The political landscape in Western countries can vary, but some Western nations
have governments that actively support LGBT rights, which can lead to more
progressive policies.
In some Asian countries, political climates may be less supportive of LGBT
rights, which can hinder progress in this area. In India, we have seen how parties
like BJP don't support the notion to legalize same sex marriages any time soon.

We see that there are many countries, who are even more hostile towards the
LGBTQ+ community, which means that India is growing and getting better at
accepting this topic. As recent as to 2018, consensual sexual relations was
approved by the supreme court, which gives us hope that same sex marriages
will also be accepted/ legalized soon.

Sure, there are many people who are very much against this notion, however
things are changing in India, and you can probably conclude that it will only
improve by the later generations.

By creating awareness, or having more open minded people in the future, we can
conclude that it will create a safe space for the queer community in India. You
can tell how our culture and surroundings affect the way we grow up to behave
and the way we affect the people around us.

Although things are changing, there’s a long way to come. However

understanding how our culture shapes the mindset of many others in India, is
very important. It helps us sympathize, and better understand both sides of the
coin.

Citations:
-https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/sAYrieZdZKEybKzhP8FDbP/Being-LGBT-i
n-India-Some-home-truths.html
-https://www.ijlmh.com/paper/rights-of-lgbtq-in-india-and-the-struggle-for-societal-
acceptance/
-https://time.com/5918808/homophobia-homosexuality-lgbt-asian-values/
-https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48337639
-https://www.outlookindia.com/national/indian-society-lacks-acceptance-for-lgbtq-
people-despite-decriminalisation-news-205083