How Gay Lesbian friendly is India
India has long had a reputation as unfriendly towards openly gay visitors. However, the world’s largest democracy is slowly coming out of the closet.
If India follows the same evolutionary path that China did, there will faint signs of a gay community evolving there,
followed by profound social changes.
One of those faint signs was Delhi’s first annual Pride Parade in 2009. Amazingly, there were scores of smaller such events throughout India,
even in small towns.
Not long afterwards the New Delhi High Court ruled that laws that criminalized homosexuality were discriminatory and a violation of
fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution. The British colonial-era law had called for a ten year jail sentence for guys caught
doing naughty things with each other. Police in some cities have used such laws to harass local gays and close gay gathering places
. The court’s ruling is effective only in Delhi. However, provincial high courts across the country have followed suit.
Gay activists were predictably jubilant following the court’s ruling, and Indian Christians and Moslems are predictably outraged.
Discussing homosexuality has long been taboo in India. Even though these antediluvian laws have rarely resulted in prosecutions
over the last two decades, striking them down has brought the “G” word into dinner table conversations across India.
As Martha would say, “It’s a good thing.”
One full year has passed since the High Court’s decision, and we have been almost inundated with journalists asking practically
the same questions: Will this bring a stampede of gay visitors? Will the Commonwealth Games be very, very gay? Do you expect a huge
rise in gay sex tourism?
Our answers are always the same. Changes in the law may make some of gay travellers more comfortable about traveling to India,
but it has not signalled the opening of the gay tourism floodgates. Most gay men and lesbians do not travel primarily to have sex,
although meeting people for cultural exchanges is often high on their lists. Delhi will never be Bangkok.
There are no real gay entertainment venues in India, although that is sure to change. Ultimately gay bars will not make much
difference to our guests anyway. Our customers go to India because they really want to see (and shop and hear and smell and
taste and photograph) India.
A high-profile gay tour company in India has announced that it will soon publish a list of the ten most gay-friendly hotels in India.
Despite their announcement, no such list has materialized and we doubt that it will. Why?
First of all, hotels do not care about the sexuality of their guests, however practically none will want to appear openly on a list.
Two guys in one bed? No problem. Unless you skinny dip in the hotel’s pool and behave inappropriately there with your companion,
or rape the room service waiter, nobody will think twice about you, even if you appear to have a lot of fun local friends. As long
as you are spending money, nobody in India cares.
Although India is conservative and is shedding its legacy of Victorian British laws and social concepts, Indians are probably not
as harsh about homosexuals as you might think. One friend who traveled with us extensively in India recently wrote us about one of
his favorite experiences:
"On my last night in Delhi I went to a big market (it was probably Chandni Chawk) to buy a sari. I found a lovely shop that sold ‘sets’
of luscious, highly-embroidered silk fabric that could be transformed into what I wanted. However, it took a few minutes for the staff to
understand that I wanted the sari for myself. When the idea finally came across to them they were very good-humored about it, with smiles all around.
I was the only male customer in a very busy shop and all of the other customers somehow got involved in helping me choose
the right color and recommending jewelry and accessories to go with it. It was very funny and quite a bit of fun for all.
Although I ended up choosing the most extravagant fabric, the experience was priceless.
"It is common for many people to form negative opinions about others who are different in one way or another. I have found,
however, that when most strangers find themselves in the company of a good-humored gay man who is not ashamed of himself their
thinking changes and they accept me on my own terms readily. After all, we are much the same, despite our languages, religions
and cultural traditions – most of which do not really teach homophobia (unless you are a fundamentalist Christian). In the end,
the shopkeepers and their customers ended up with a fun story of their own, plus a big attitude change.”
Essential to any first-time visit to India is the "Golden Triangle;" Delhi, Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, and Jaipur,
one of the most splendid feudal city states in Rajasthan. This circuit can be completed by road in five to seven days, which
leaves time for most holiday-makers to see more. We encourage our guests to spend an extra day in Jaipur, if possible.
The monumental Ambur Fort, a sprawling hill-top fortified palace on the edge of the city, is worth an entire day.
Shopping here is terrific if you are interested in handicrafts, carpets, textiles and art. Jaipur is also India’s greatest center
for the gem trade, where savvy shoppers can pick up a little bling at bargain prices.
Rajasthan is full of other attractions, particularly the cities that sprang up around the richly-ornamented palaces and forts of the rulers of old. In their day these independent realms ruled by the Rajput before Indian colonial rule. Among closest to the Golden Triangle are Udaipur, India’s “City of Lakes,” and Johdpur and Jaisalmer, caravan towns on the edge of the Tar desert.
A visit to Ranthambore National Park also fits neatly into a Golden Triangle itinerary. Open October through May, Ranthambore is home to rhinos, elephants the last remaining protected population of Bengal tigers in India, as well as thousands of species of other wildlife, birds and flora. Ranthambore is a two night stop if you want to see the minimum. Seeing tigers is not guaranteed, but many visitors experience two or three sightings.
While it is impossible to see everything in India, filling a three- or four-week time span is not difficult. Kerala, on the tip of India, offers wonderful beaches, plenty of history and houseboat adventures. Nearby Madurai is India’s second oldest city that still attracts countless Hindu pilgrims to its ancient temples. The oldest city, Varanasi, is best known for its cremations and ritual bathing on the shores of the Ganges.
Gay venues do not exist yet in India, although bars in Delhi and Mumbai have a gay night once a week. There are infrequent circuit parties in other Indian cities. For most visitors, gay life is elusive. For those who want to meet the locals, the best method is to find new friends through social networking websites before you go.
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