Pride in India.
Homosexuality is mostly a taboo subject in Indian, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code makes sex with persons of the same gender punishable by law. But the Supreme Court of India overturned that ruling on 11 December 2013, stating that the Court was instead deferring to Indian legislators to provide the sought-after clarity.
Public discussion of homosexuality in India has been inhibited by the fact that sexuality in any form is rarely discussed openly. In recent years, however, attitudes towards homosexuality have shifted slightly.
In particular, there have been more depictions and discussions of homosexuality in the Indian news media and in Bollywood.
In the Rigveda, one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism says “Vikriti Evam Prakriti”, meaning “What seems unnatural is also natural”, which some scholars believe recognizes homosexual/transsexual dimensions of human life, like all forms of universal diversities.
Evidence indicates that homosexuality has been prevalent across the Indian subcontinent throughout history, and that homosexuals were not necessarily considered inferior in any way until about 18th century.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2014.