Indian Gay Sex!

I'm going for crazy headlines these days.

Just a few hours ago, the Delhi High Court of India ruled that consensual sex between people of the same gender is a violation of the rights expressed in the subcontinent's Constitution. Section 377 says that homosexual sex is against the "order of nature" and is punishable with up to 10 years in prison. Activists blame the exploding HIV rates in the country on the law, saying that people have been afraid to discuss their behavior, afraid that it would land them prison time.

However, the decision is tempered with some of the details of the ruling, from the Associated Press story:

The law itself can only be amended by India's Parliament, but the court's verdict should protect New Delhi's gay community from criminal charges and police harassment.

While the Delhi High Court's ruling is not binding on courts in India's other states, Tripti Tandon, a lawyer for the Naz Foundation, said she hoped the ruling would have a "persuasive" affect.

In short: the law has not changed, it's just unlikely to be enforced, and then the ruling only stands in the one state of India. It is a start -- a start that took 8 years to complete, btw, which, apparently is not unusual in the clogged civil litigation system of the world's second largest country. Let's hope it goes further, yes? That's a billion people who can't enjoy the wonderment of man-on-man (or woman-on-woman) action. Human rights issue ... seriously.

Other than the HIV issue, India's gay scene gained international attention after a prince of the country came out and then was subsequently disinherited by his family.

Trans in India

Most unintentionally funny story this week in trans-news:

In a couple of months, Jinda, a transgender, hopes to put down her begging bowl for good and pick up a mobile phone not to make a call but to repair and assemble them.

The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board, along with Madras Christian Council of Social Service (MCCSS) and Manpower Awareness Social Service (MASS) Trust, has collaborated with mobile phone companies Nokia, Motorola and Foxconn to find alternative employment for transgenders. About 100 of them will be trained for a month and will then assemble parts for the phone companies. They will be paid based on their work.

It's nice that we're paying "transgenders" for work, isn't it? HA!

In related news, it's important to note the state of trans-persons in India, where they are identified, essentially, as freaks and are paid to dance at parties and bless people with their magical powers. Seriously. It seems they are about as pariah as they come, but are identified as a third sex. Though hijras hold a special place in Indian mythology, they have not been as well treated by modern culture.

I don't know how much this holds up, considering the latest in India (well, sort of latest). I haven't heard hide nor hair of the gay Prince of India. 

So, actually, this news story is positive -- foreign companies are basically ignorign the modern hatred of trans-individuals and are saying, "hey, we need phones built." I think that's fabulous. Kind of a gender affirmative action.

GENERAL STUFF: Crazy Indians!!

Shockingly, from Andrew Sullivan.

I really really wish these were the real words. Oh, you Indians.