Indian political parties include LGBTQ+ rights in election platforms for the first time
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India’s largest democratic process is set to commence on April 19, as voters across the nation start participating in the elections.
This election holds unique significance as, for the first time, major political parties are including the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples in their campaign promises.
The Indian National Congress, a longstanding political entity, has announced plans to propose legislation recognising civil unions for LGBTQ+ couples following extensive consultations. Despite its prolonged governance since India’s 1947 independence from the U.K., the Congress has previously avoided opposing Section 377, a statute that criminalised consensual same-sex relations.
In 2011, the then-Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad, during Congress' tenure, controversially described homosexuality as a disease at an HIV/AIDS conference in New Delhi, stating, “Unfortunately, this disease has come to our country too,” and referred to male same-sex relations as “completely unnatural.”
During the Naz Foundation case, the Ministry of Home Affairs advocated against repealing Section 377, maintaining that homosexuality should not be morally accepted. Congress did not abolish this law during its time in power.
A Supreme Court panel of five judges decriminalised consensual same-sex activities on September 6, 2018.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) revealed its agenda on April 4, encompassing a variety of socialist and pro-LGBTQ rights policies. The party aims to reform the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 to better represent the community's needs and to secure legal recognition and protections similar to those afforded to married heterosexual couples.
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Their policies propose legislation akin to the Special Marriage Act of 1954, allowing partners certain rights such as dependency, inheritance, and alimony post-divorce, alongside a comprehensive anti-discrimination law including LGBTQ+ individuals, educational quotas, and job reservations.
The platform also commits to equating crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals with those against heterosexuals, addressing bullying, violence, and harassment against LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming persons in schools, and promoting policies against hazing based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Brinda Karat, leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and former Rajya Sabha member, expressed to the ‘Washington Blade’ that the prevailing government maintains homophobic views which her party does not support.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the ruling government is ambitiously aiming to secure over 400 parliamentary seats. Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party's predominance in the polls, Congress has aligned with 26 other opposition parties in the newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. Yet, this coalition lacks a unified strategy, with only two parties clearly advocating for LGBTQ+-inclusive policies.
Despite attempts to reach them for comments, neither the Congress spokesperson nor the Bharatiya Janata Party have provided responses. The latter has also not unveiled its election manifesto.
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