Analysis of LGBTQ+ community acceptance in India

10.47191/Ijsshr/V4-I9-22 ,Manavi Goyal

doi:10.47191/ijsshr/v4-i9-22

Abstract

The LGBTQ+ community has been mistreated socially, economically and politically in India. The discrimination they face stems from homophobic ideals within society that grow due to less education regarding the LGBTQ+ society. Queer people in India encounter issues with homophobia within society. While India’s LGBTQ+ related laws are moderately progressive compared to its neighbours, society is not as accepting towards the community. There are a lot of socio-cultural factors that cause these issues including history, religion and general societal norms. Moreover, due to the diverse urban and rural settings in India, the acceptance of the community is very different amongst different locations. The report includes multiple psychological theories in order to understand the reason behind why India has been moving so slowly in terms of accepting the LGBTQ+ community. The paper also explains India’s cultural factors to demonstrate how it influences the public. In general, I found that India finds comfort in establishing hierarchy and preserving group relations which is why I believe education and representation will have the most positive impact. Therefore, I proposed that the government implement educational and awareness programs as well as more representation in the media so that Indian society is more informed on what it means to be part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Highlights

Homophobia is a concept that is common within the Indian society and one that queer people struggle with due to the lack of safety they face
RESULTS & DISCUSSION Social Identity Theory The Social Identity theory (SIT) is a theory that suggests that individuals will not just have a personal sense of self and rather multiple social selves that depend on group membership, such as racial/ethnic and gender identities (Tajfel et al, 1979)
This is quite similar to the outcomes of social comparison as it only leads to discriminatory behaviour towards the outgroup

Summary

Introduction

Homophobia is a concept that is common within the Indian society and one that queer people struggle with due to the lack of safety they face. Due to the cultural stigmas within Indian society, most aggressively discriminate against queer people and the law-force fail to protect them against harm. This is what leads to possible internalized homophobia within the LGBTQ+ society, and perhaps a large reason as to why queer individuals in India continue to be marginalized.

Results

Conclusion