Just as India's LGBT community was celebrating the Delhi High Court's historic judgment in reading down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which effectively decriminalised consensual gay sex on July 2, 2009, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stunned many on Monday by calling homosexuality "unnatural", and a "disease" which is "spreading fast" in the country.
"The disease of MSM is unnatural and not good for India. We are not able to identify where it is happening as it less reported also," said Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who spoke in Hindi. He was speaking at a national convention on HIV/AIDS with parliamentarians and representatives from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and UNAIDS in attendance.
The minister, a member of the Indian National Congress, took over the health portfolio from Dr Anbumani Ramadoss after the elections in 2009. The Health Ministry, with Dr Ramadoss at the helm, was a strong advocate of legalising same-sex relations to advance the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Azad's comments has drawn strong condemnation from gay and HIV/AIDS activists, and local and international media coverage.
Sangama, a Chennai-based human rights organisation specialising in the rights of sexual minorities, has called for an apology and immediate resignation of the minister.
"The Honorable Minister’s statement reveals his abject ignorance of international medical and scientific opinion that homosexuality is not a disease... The honorable Minister needs to educate himself on public health and scientific opinion grounded in evidence before airing his views or continuing in his position," the group said in a statement.
It also expressed concern that the minister's is damaging the efforts of groups such as India's National AIDS Control Organization Programme (NACP-III), an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), that have been working to help MSM and transgender people access healthcare.
Onir, an openly gay film-maker (of My Brother... Nikhil fame), was quoted in the Times of India as saying: "Ghulam Nabi Azad must apologise. As a minister of the largest democracy, he can't deny equal rights to any citizen of this country because of his personal prejudice. He is answerable to the nation and the image of our nation internationally."
The Wall Street Journal has described Azad's comments as "pull(ing) an Mbeki" – referencing former South African President Thabo Mbeki's controversial comments in 2000 at a global conference where hundreds of delegates walked out after they were told by Mbeki that he didn't think the HIV virus is the sole cause of AIDS.
(In Hindi and English, 0.48 mins onwards)
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Reader's Comments
This case is just another political strawman and sockpuppet unworthy of any attention other than for a bored audience.
Why the need to make such a sweeping statement about 'Asians'?
Judging from surveys, 50 to 90% of prisoners have had homosexual experiences. Quite astonishing and I’m not sure if I believe such statistics. But getting sentenced to prison is also one of the biggest HIV risk factors in India so obviously MSM sex in prisons is indeed common.
However, a Minister of Health should be informed enough to be able to distinguish between “situational homosexuality” practiced by thuggish straight guys (who make life ugly for everyone) and the biological homosexuality of us fabulous fags (who make life a lot more beautiful for everyone).
And what other sorts of misguided or dead wrong ideas percolate in this Minister of Health's brain? Epileptics are possessed by demons? Breast cancer can be cured by drinking the urine of virgins? If I were the Indian PM, I'd be thinking about moving Azad to another portfolio... quick.
:-)))
denseaus you're at it again with your disgraceful, pathetic racist comments. Did you join Fridae just because you hate everything about Asia and Asians and need a forum to say it over and over again ? The reactions to your blatant racism from our (sorry, MY) asian friends (#3, #11 and #14 the editor) here are polite and mild and thus show how much more civilized they are compared to you.
He has shown jimself up without having done any full research other than thinking about pro-creation. What about males and females who constantly use condoms for sexual acts? It is the same end result -both are for sexual stimulation and have no other reason. Yes, my friends, it is sad that a persons's lack of intelligence has once again been highlighted in this day and age.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghulam_Nabi_Azad
It's really a poor judgment of the Prime Minister of India to have appointed such an ignorant, unsympathetic and politically clumsy person as the Health Minister. The only way to resolve this problem, beside having him resign voluntarily, is for the PM to sack him immediately, and appoint a more well-informed, compassionate and politically wise person to replace him.
Perhaps the Prime Minister should also ensure that the next Health Minister is sufficiently informed about public health. If that person isn't even aware of the latest views adopted by leading bodies such as WHO, UN, UNAIDS, American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, etc. in basic public health issues such as HIV (and homosexuality's relationship to HIV), how's he going to lead the Health Ministry? How can the PM make a blind person like him lead?
I urge all Indian citizens to petition to the Prime Minister and the Parliament of India to remove this person as the Health Minister immediately.
The former Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, who supported the removal of anti-gay law s377, is a medical doctor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anbumani_Ramadoss).
I think the Indian Prime Minister should appoint Ghulam Nabi Azad as a zoo-keeper. As a Zoology graduate, doesn't he even know that homosexuality occurs even among animals in nature? How can he call homosexuality 'unnatural' and a 'disease'? So, he should be re-educated in the field of Zoology in a zoo where he can see homosexuality even among animals himself.
Did i say 'they' refer to Indians? I am referring 'they' as he and his same kind, are u one of their kind?
If you do not understand the meaning of 'Jahiliah', why did you comment?
Are you a racist or just to attack me personally?
Does civilisation in medicine and ecomomic have anything to do with civilisation in sexual-orientation?
I have even known of a Nobel-prize winner in Medicine who was also a racist...
Someone, please feel free to comment on what Solmateseeker has written here.......a personal attack.....maybe he is a spy here.....with no dignity?
then being straight but causes a lot of violence at home and abusing their own wife and children,
i suppose that being straight is called as "horrifying" and supernaturally, "cursed" the life on your own house...
Mr. Azad, pity on you, to live a "horrifying" and "cursed" life, hope you have better chance next life :D
As an Indian myself, I dont see any racist overtones in anything published here. Yes they are very disparaging of Azad - and I agree with them. Unfortunately thats the way politics is in ALL countries. Occasionally there comes a clueless imbecile who becomes an important minister (or even Prime Minister - Berlusconi, anyone - or Thabo Mbeki or Dick Cheney). S/he does a disservice to his ministry, and his country. S/he is appointed because of political arithmetic or other such compulsions.
I suspect there may indeed have been some racist comments here, but they would have been edited out - well done, editors. #solmateseeker, if you feel as outraged and ashamed by Azad's comments as I do, then vent your anger and frustration here. But I know that many here are envious of the progress India has made with respect to GLBT issues. GLBT people here march increasingly without masks. Gay pride marches in India are called Gay pride Marches not pink dots, yellow commas or lilac apostrophes.
All this in a fractious, chaotic but functioning democracy, with substantial (but not yet guaranteed or all-pervasive) safeguards for human rights.
Are you one of them?
Are you one of them?
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