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India knows no love, abstains at UN vote on LGBT expert

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DailyBite
DailyBiteJul 01, 2016 | 21:32

India knows no love, abstains at UN vote on LGBT expert

As far as ensuring equal rights and dignity to our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer brethren is concerned, India's record seems to be touching fresh lows. In a humiliating blow to the halting hopes of our LGBTQ community, India has abstained from voting for or against the setting up of an independent United Nations-appointed expert to monitor violence based on gender identity, against difference in sexual orientation and denial of rights/discrimination against the sexual minorities.

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The 47-member UN Human Rights Council had put to vote its agenda of appointing an independent expert on LGBT rights, which won by a relatively narrow margin of 23 in favour of the motion, while 18 against it. Interestingly, India, along with South Africa, and four others, abstained from voting.

Though there was near unequivocal assent from the Western and European nations as well as Latin American countries, powers like Saudi rabia, Russia, Qatar and other countries with strong homophobic laws had more in common with India's pathetic stance at the resolution.

With the curative petition on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code coming up for hearing in the five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, the Modi government seemingly had a legal fig leaf to hide its acute homophobia behind. Ever since the apex court reinstated Section 377 in its notorious December 2013 judgement overturning a Delhi High Court order of 2009, the LGBTQ community has been fighting a sad and lonely battle against the daily assaults to their dignity and integrity in the country.

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The abstention at the UNHRC comes only a few months after Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram and Congress member Shashi Tharoor's Private Member Bill to decriminalise homosexuality and read down Section 377 wasn't even allowed an introduction at the floor of the house.

Although the Supreme Court order has thrown the ball in the legislature's court, there is only apathy and acute lack of empathy from the government, along with rampant anti-LGBTQ bias.

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Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for his routine tweet in the wake of the Orlando gay club massacre earlier this month, in which he neither called out the root of the hate crime, that is homophobia, nor did he show any disapproval of US' mind-bogglingly relaxed gun possession laws.

Modi's platitude faced sharp disparagement, especially from India's LGBT section, which expressed strong discontent at his government's hypocrisy in not decriminalising homosexuality while tweeting timely condolences for Orlando's felled gays and lesbians.

The abstention now puts India in the same bracket as rabidly homophobic states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and even Vladimir Putin's Russia. It's a sad day for human rights and a sadder one for the country.

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Last updated: July 01, 2016 | 21:32
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