Marmara on Section 377
1st February, 2016
The Marmara on section 377 criminalising sex between gays, lesbians and other sexual minorities was held on 1 February, 2016 on the eve of the hearing of the curative petition filed for repealing sec 377.
The Marmara, held under a sprawling tree in cubbon park gathered under its shade activists, lawyers and literary persons. Sixty to seventy people belonging to the LGBTQI community came from KGF, Bijapur, Kolar, Chickballapur, Hassan, Malur and Bangalore.
Introducing Corinne as the vision behind the Marmara, Rajesh spoke a little about the context in which the programme was initiated as also for the present gathering. Corinne shared the metaphorical roots and perspective of the Marmara.
Five testimonies on the violence that the community faces from the police and from section 377 was presented. The crucial question that these stories seemed to raise was why should same sex be considered a crime? Why should there be boundaries for love? Should we not engage more with and extend spaces within society than the law? Why should we locate the issues of the sexual minorities within the discourse and framework of majority and minority? Why should we accept the term sexual ‘minorities’ whose point of reference then becomes the hetero normative majority?
Vasudendra Sharma, a litterateur read a chapter from his novel which beautifully expressed the anguish of a gay person who loses his partner to a hetero normative person.
Sharada, a founding member of Sangama spoke of the struggle of the community since its inception and the gains that the movement has had which was reflected in the fact that it was possible for one to gather in a public space and speak openly about the issue without the fear of being harassed by the law enforcers. The movement had pushed the boundaries of public debate and acceptance. She also shared a poem.
Photos of the Marmara on Section 377 >>