Has the LGBTQIA+ community found acceptance in Vizag?

It has been over two years since the Supreme Court of India ruled out Section 377, making consensual sex between any gender legal. The LGBTQIA+ community across the country has seen a significant change in the perception of same-sex relations by the general public. However, many would agree that there is a long way to go for a member of the LGBTQIA+ community to attain the social status of a heterosexual person. To understand more about the issue locally, the Yo! Vizag team got in touch with Shivakumar Lanka, Co-Founder of a volunteer non-profit organization, Nestam, working for the welfare of the LGBTQIA+ community in the city.

Shivakumar agrees to the fact that the judgment passed on Section 377 has generated awareness about the LGBTQIA+ community in Vizag. However, he is quick to state that there is a lack of acceptance in society with regards to the community.

As an organisation, Nestam has helped young folks realise their orientation with proper counselling. Unfortunately, the organisation was left helpless when the parents of the said youth refused to accept their orientation and would send them to ‘conversion therapy’. Finding fault with the conception that one’s dysphoria in gender identity and sexual orientation is a psychological illness, Shivakumar says, “Even though modern studies, backed by scientific evidence, suggest otherwise, it is disheartening to see a few psychiatrists and psychologists in the city endorsing one’s sexual orientation and dysphoria in gender identity to be a mental illness; and claiming that the same can be cured with harsh treatments.”

Today, it is a battle the LGBTQIA+ community of Vizag faces on a regular basis. Sharing views on what could help improve the awareness and acceptance, Shivakumar states, “Since one’s dysphoria in gender identity surfaces from a very young age and sexual orientation when a child hits puberty, proper education regarding the same should be provided at the levels of primary and secondary schooling itself.” In the pursuit of achieving the same, Nestam has been conducting numerous seminars and workshops across the city.

With the Delhi High Court giving last opportunities to the Centre to respond to the Public Interest Litigations (PILs) on same-sex marriage, the LGBTQIA+ community of Vizag eagerly awaits the verdict scheduled to be declared by the end of next month. Although not on a national scale, being the capital of India, Delhi’s verdict will leave a major impact on the concerned issue, says Shivakumar.