Society’s Not in a Gay Mood
Express
India, September 30, 2004
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=36704
By Dominic Emmanuel, spokesman of the Delhi Catholic
Archdiocese
Homosexuality is an unnatural tendency which must be
dealt with through compassion and counselling. They must move ahead with the
hope of liberating themselves. The Naaz Foundation which had challenged the
Constitutional validity of IPC 377 in the Delhi High Court in 2001, received a
setback when the High Court rejected its plea two weeks ago. With the way the
homosexual community has launched its recent campaign, notwithstanding what
the larger society thinks of the issue, the Naaz Foundation is certain to
knock the doors of the Supreme Court to redress, what according to them, is a
denial of the fundamental right of an individual to choose one’s sexual
behaviour.
The IPC Section 377 holds, “Whosoever has carnal
intercourse voluntarily against the order of nature with any man, woman or
animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for a
term which may extend to ten years, and shall be liable to fine”. The
petition claimed that these unnatural acts were not so unnatural going by the
socio-scientific evidence. In a rather hushed tone the PIL adds, “due to
fear of police action, consenting adult males having sexual relations were not
coming forward to disclose their problems, even though they were more prone to
HIV infection”.
There is no evidence to suggest that the HC acted under
any societal pressure as the issue of homosexual and lesbian relationships was
under the spotlight for weeks following the murder of Pushkin and Kuldeep last
month in one of Delhi’s elite colonies. The HC judgment has poured cold
water on all the superficial arguments offered in favour of homosexuality and
it is surprising to note that very little, if anything was written or
discussed in the media on the HC judgement. Society at large has no doubt
welcomed the stand of the HC as the government too had argued against the PIL
saying, “the society disapproves of such behaviour”.
One of the institutions under attack for opposing
homosexuality is the Catholic Church which itself has been facing an
embarrassing situation with new revelations of a small number of its priests
caught in the mess. Several dioceses in the US have gone bankrupt by paying
huge compensations to the victims of child or homosexual abuse. If the Church
were “worldly wise”, it would have promoted legalisation of gay marriages
or at least closed its eyes to it. But the Church is never for “quick fix”
and always weighs its stand in relation to the natural law as ordained by God.
As Archbishop Vincent M Concessao of Delhi says, “Just because some people
have no problem in killing others or in being corrupt to the core or wishing
to legalise sati, should these things be allowed in society and should the
Church be criticised for opposing them?”
Those who falsely allege that the Church must stop
interfering into what happens in people’s bedrooms, the Pope explains,
“Spouses thereby ensure the survival of society and culture, and rightly
deserve specific and categorical legal recognition by the state,” and “It
is this sublime and fundamental truth concerning the human person — created
male and female in the image and likeness of God — which constitutes the
immutable basis for all other anthropological truths”.
The psychologist, Sigmund Freud, presented reasons why
such tendencies occur in certain individuals and can be changed through
sustained counseling. Research also shows that homosexuality is often a
temporary phase in many individuals, who, with professional help, get over it.
Other times, circumstances land them in situations such as exclusive boarding
schools for either only boys or girls. Prison or Army is another place where
it is sometimes practised, but the moment these people are free, they come
back to their natural behaviour. Psychologists and therapists cite innumerable
examples of how the young have been helped to tread the “natural path”.
There is little awareness among the masses, as Naaz
concedes too, that homosexual relations are highly vulnerable to the spread of
HIV. Even though, reflecting society’s view, HC in its judgement rejected
the PIL, nevertheless, the Church extends all understanding and compassion to
people with such tendencies saying, “(Homosexuals) must be accepted with
respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in
their regard should be avoided (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2357).”
Whatever society understands from HC’s judgment and
Church’s stand, persons with such tendencies must move ahead with the hope
of liberating themselves someday from the burden they carry deep within.
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