Is homosexuality my culture? Why I do not agree with the emotive ‘this is our culture argument’.

In the past few months I have been following the news about section 377 while I think the law will only legitimise hate crime the discussion around it is what bothers me. Either side claiming cultural supremacy on this issue it has forgotten something vital that law in India tries to position itself above culture. Those in favour of brining back the law think of homosexuality as a western disease which will corrupt ‘Indian culture’. Those in favour of legalising homosexuality call for respecting our culture and shedding Victorian morality. While both sides do have a point about culture they forget something vital about this fight- sexual orientation is not cultural choice and that which is cultural is changeable. While the expression of sexuality is dictated by cultural and historical factors these are constantly changing. Surprisingly the same debate about culture is taking Nigeria. Both pro and anti arguments invoke notions of ‘true Nigerian culture’. If legalising homosexuality is not ‘Indian culture’ neither is criminalising it.

What I fear in this debate is that culture will be the focus and not homosexuality and people who are homosexual. In a nation where hate crime by the state are justified the law needs to go above arguments about culture and religious sentiment, after all we are a multi cultural and multi religious nation. The law is not based on personal liking but on ethics. While homosexuality might be distasteful to someone it does not justify violence. Consensual sex between people of the same sex (legal age taken into consideration) is not a crime it does not harm people or society. 

Update on 14th October 2014

I have just heard this lecture by Rahul Rao -The locations of homophobia this sums up my thoughts on why I resist the narrative 'homophobia is not native to my culture'. Nativism is something I resist personally and as an academic discourse. The LGBT issue is a pertinent one however either side builds this historical narrative which does not tackle the issue in the present. I will let you read the the paper and decide for yourself. 

Click the link below for a copy of the essay. 
The locations of homophobia -Rahul Rao

The culture of being offended.

While on recent flight to India I was offered drinks I asked if they served any mulled wine . Promptly I was told this was against company policy as celebrating Christmas would be seen as offensive. ‘To whom?’ I asked ‘to our Indian passengers madam’. I did not bother asking why it is the case of the British speaking for the other as usual. India is a secular nation we celebrate as many festivals as we can, the state even gives us holidays to do so. I have grown up celebrating festivals with friends of every religion. While in recent years we have become intolerant we aren’t trying to annihilate religion in order to achieve some pseudo idea of peace.

Things are not ideal in India religious minorities face persecution, however the state does not deny people the right to practice their religions. We can tell the difference between religion and fundamentalism. In Britain, on the other hand all signs of religion equal fundamentalism and superstition. I suspect this is a cause for a lot of antagonism amongst immigrants who are offended by the lack of symbols and sanctity in public life.

I have grown up learning about religions through festivals. Food offered by neighbours and friends was a way to know them better.  It was an earnest gesture which said look I think you are important enough for me to share my traditions with you. While I wont romanticise religion I wont demonise it either. Yes some wars are caused due to religion some wars are also caused by greed. I found the airlines pre-emptive politically correct stance offensive. I am a vegetarian why not ban meat on the fight? There would have been Brahmins and vegans on the why not ban all animal products then.

The guilt most British people feel for being British never ceases to amaze me. Religion, food, festivals traditions do not racially attack people, people attack people. This suppression of British culture has led to a quiet  animosity against people of colour. While we are to be known by our culture and spirituality the white person must be stripped of these and made to feel invisible. As a friend pointed out recently isn’t white a colour? This stripping away of ones identity also affects the way a person of colour is treated polite on the surface but still thought of as an invader.

What I would personally like to see in the Britain is not pseudo guilt over things that are not offensive.