The document discusses LGBT rights and issues faced by the LGBT community. It defines LGBT as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. It provides statistics on LGBT population in India and discusses laws criminalizing homosexuality in various countries. The document argues that homosexuality is natural and not against religion. It outlines problems faced by the LGBT community such as discrimination, hate crimes and homelessness. The document discusses pride parades and welfare schemes for transgender people in India. It concludes by listing various rights that the LGBT community needs.

1. LGBT Rights
Team E

2. You don’t have to be a cow, to fight
for animal rights!
-Shashi Tharoor

3. What does LGBT mean?
L.G.B.T. is an initialism that stands for :
- lesbian
- gay
- bisexual
- transgender
It is intended to emphasize a diversity of sexuality.
It may be used to refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or
non-cisgender.
LGBT+ encompasses a spectrum of gender and sexuality.

4. Statistics
• There are nearly 4.9 lakh transgenders in India, according to
2011 census.
• According to global studies, 2 to 13% of the population
exhibits same sex preference.
• In India, there would be at least 1.2 crore homosexuals which
is 1% of the population.

5. LGBT rights around the world
• 22 countries, most of them located in the Americas and
Western Europe, recognize same-sex marriage.
• 16 countries have an unequal age of consent law.
• 72 countries as well as five sub-national jurisdictionshave
laws criminalizing homosexuality, with most of them located
in Asia and Africa. In 2006 that number was 92.
• 10 countries have laws to punish homosexuals with capital
punishment (death penalty).

6. Illegal in India
• In India, IPC 377 states that “carnal intercourse against the
order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be
punished with imprisonment of life or a term which may
extend up to 10 years with fine”
• The term “against order of nature” includes homosexual and
transgendered community.
• Delhi high court decriminalized homosexuality in 2009 but
supreme court overturned it later.
• The final verdict will be out by the end of the year which is
likely to be in support of LGBTs.

7. When did it come in?
• This section of IPC dates back to 1860.
• Thus it is a Victorian era draconian law which criminalizes the
homosexuality based on Judeo-Christian theology rather than
on science.
• The law relegates some people to inferior status based solely
on how they look or who they love, invades their privacy, and
degrades their dignity.
• Sexual orientation or gender identity should not be a deciding
factor in determining the role play of any individual in a
progressive society.

8. Is it unnatural?
• Simply, “No”.
• According to various researches, there are homosexuals in at
least 1500 species of animals.
• It is more common among dolphins.
• This nature is ingrained in their genes. However, it is not clear
how these genes transmit if the animals don’t procreate.
• Those animals contribute to the gene pool and also adopts
orphan animals, thereby contributing to the community, too.

9. Against religion?
• Religious writings are often outdated and could be wrong too. Eg.:
Untouchability is justified in various books.
• Many ancient Indian texts contain verses supporting the LGBT
community. Nowhere they speak ill of them.
• The Hindu epics mention several characters who demonstrate
a range of sexual orientations and gender identities, including
Shikhandi, Chitrangada (wife of Arjuna and mother of
Babruvahana), and Brihannala from the Mahabharata.
• None of these characters are discriminated against because of
sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Rather, they are all treated with respect, and judged by their
abilities rather than their sexuality.

10. Against religion?
• Many gods and demigods were known to
• The scriptures and monuments in Khajuraho depicts the
existence of homosexuals during the past and they were
accepted as a part of the society.
• The Arthashastra has numerous mentions of LGBT individuals
in various professions free from any persecution. And the
stories of Ardhanareeshwara (Shiva as half-man, half-woman)
and Lord Ayyappa (born to Shiva and Vishnu as Mohini)
indicate the subtle approach that Hinduism adopts towards
matters of gender.

11. Can it be cured?
• It is not a disease to be cured or an acquired habit or a
disorder.
• The people are born that way.
• Research on brain scan reveals the significant variations in the
brain size of the homosexuals.

13. Problems faced by them
• They are subjected to discriminations on the grounds of their
orientation, which is unacceptable.
• They are constantly at the risk of persecution.
• They are too often the victims of hate crimes.
• Transgenders are rejected by their parents and are left
homeless.
• They are subjected to harassments and bullying in schools.
• In addition to homophobia, lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender people confront racism and poverty on a daily
basis.

14. Problems faced by them
• LGBT people are more likely to use alcohol, tobacco and other
drugs than the general population.
• Report higher rates of substance abuse problems, and are more
likely to continue heavy drinking into later life.
• LGBT elders mostly have no one to look after them as they
can’t adopt.
• Because of various problems, those people are mentally and
psychologically affected at drastic rates.

15. Pride march
• Pride parades (also known as pride marches, pride events,
and pride festivals) are events celebrating LGBT culture and
pride.
• The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal
rights such as same-sex marriage.
• Most pride events occur annually, and many take place
around June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in
New York City, a pivotal moment in modern LGBT social
movements.
• First gay pride march in India took place in Kolkata.

16. Asia's first Genderqueer Pride Parade at Madurai
with Anjali Gopalan

17. Welfare schemes for Transgenders
• The Tamil Nadu was the first state in India to introduce
a transgender welfare policy.
• According to the policy transgender people can access
 free Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) in the Government
Hospital
 free housing program;
 various citizenship documents;
 admission in government colleges with full scholarship for
higher studies;
 alternative sources of livelihood through formation of self-
help groups (for savings) and initiating income-generation
programmes (IGP)

18. Welfare schemes for Transgenders
• In a pioneering effort to solve the problems faced by
transgender people, the government of Tamil Nadu (a state in
South India) established a transgender welfare board in April
2008.
• This effort is touted to be the first in India and even in the
world.
• Recently, Kochi metro hired 23 transgendered people in
various departments including housekeeping, ticket vending
and customer relations.

19. Rights they need
• LGBT rights laws include, but are not limited to, the
following:
• government recognition of same-sex relationships (such as via
same-sex marriage or similar unions)
• allowing LGBT adoption.
• recognition of LGBT parenting.
• anti-bullying legislation and student non-discrimination laws
to protect LGBT children and students.
• immigration equality laws.
• anti-discrimination laws for employment and housing.

20. Rights they need
• hate crime laws providing enhanced criminal penalties for
prejudice-motivated violence against LGBT people.
• equal age of consent laws.
• equal access to assisted reproductive technology.
• access to sex reassignment surgery and hormone replacement
therapy.
• legal recognition and accommodation of reassigned gender.
• laws related to sexual orientation and military service.
• allowing men who have sex with men to donate blood.