LGBT IITians move Supreme Court against IPC 377

Hyderabad: Twenty students and alumni members from the LGBT community of IITs from across India have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging Section 377 of IPC.

There are four Telugu-speaking petitioners among 20, including a transwoman who stated that Section 377 legitimises the stigma associated to the sexual orientation and its expression. The petition went from Pravritti — an informal Pan-IIT LGBT group which has more than 500 members of alumni, students, staff and faculty members.

The petitioners stated that they had been denied the opportunity to seek love and companionship, equal access to state machinery, had to forego better paying employment prospects in fear of discrimination and that the criminalisation of their sexual orientation has led to many grappling with mental illness.
The petitioners listed the day-to-day problems that they have to face due to discrimination, even while studying in premier institutions such as the IITs. The youngest petitioner is an 18-year-old from IIT Madras.

Balachandran Ramiah, a petitioner, said, “We chose to file a writ from our group that has been in existence since six years because we know what a powerful brand IIT is. We have listed our personal narratives of many from the community being bullied, teased, forced to hide their romantic relationships and their sexuality from friends and family. They were deprived of their self worth and dignity. Many also suffered physical abuse on campus.”

Uruvi, an IITian trans woman from Anantapur, said, “I went into severe depression due to the bullying I faced because of my gender identity and dropped out of schooling and college but each time, I found the strength to continue and now I am a research scholar. Striking off Section 377 will be a ray of hope to many like me who have been mentally disturbed because of their gender and can be free in the nation.”

Petitioners claimed that many people who appear for the exam come from small towns and do not have exposure to the LGBT community and while some are open to it, many resorted to blackmail and would also discriminate against them.

“We decided to take a stand against section 377 because many of us are empowered in our respective careers and are strong enough to speak against the discrimination,” says Balachandran who is a successful business.

Anwesh Pokkuluri from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh says, “All my childhood and teenage life, I didn’t know what I was going through since I am from a lower middle class background. Once I went to IIT and got the resources to learn about my sexuality, I was afraid to come out. The trauma and stigma associated with queerness must end which is why we have filed the petition. There needs to be acceptance.”

Akhilesh who grew up in Hyderabad, says, “I needed a professional’s help to come out and finding the right psychiatrist is even harder than finding the right partner because you need one who is open to what you are feeling. Presently section 377 does not make the process of identifying with one’s sexuality any easier and legitimises the stigma attached to sexual orientation.”

The petition states that the discrimination against the LGBT community has caused the brain drain of several individuals and that many petitioners are certainly employed in STEM fields that would contribute to a strong nation.