India

Demographics

Estimated Total Population:

1.353 billion

World Bank, 2018

Estimated SGM Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated Total SGM Adult Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated % of SGM Adults (18+):

N/A

N/A

In India, homosexuality is considered to be a crime under section 377, which refers to ‘unnatural offenses’, of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 . DespiteIndia being one among several countries with the denomination of a third gender (hijra), human rights for SGM populations remain difficult. Many individuals continuously face stigma and mental, physical, emotional, and economic violence in their respective communities and spaces. Moreover, most studies or literature about SGM populations in India are concerned with HIV health risks and have little consideration of mental health.

India's Laws and Policies from ILGA World Report (2019)

RECOGNITION
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
No
Civil Unions
No
Joint Adoption
No
Second Parent Adoption
No
PROTECTION
Employment Nondiscrimination Laws
No
Broad Protections
No
Criminalization of Violence
No
Ban of Conversion Therapy
No
CRIMINALIZATION
Consensual Same-Sex Acts are Legal?
Yes
Gender
Does Not Apply
Max Penalty (Yrs in Prison)
Does Not Apply

Selected Published Studies, Reports, and Other Documents

Asthana, S., & Oostvogels, R. (2001). The social construction of male ‘homosexuality’ in India: Implications for HIV transmission and prevention. Social Science and Medicine, 52, 707–721. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953600001672?via%3Dihub

Bowling, J. (2016). Risk and protective health behaviors among sexual minority females in mumbai, india (Order No. 10143626). Available from GenderWatch; ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1824672507). Retrieved from https://login.proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1824672507?accountid=10598

Bowling J., Dodge B., Banik S., Bartelt E., Rawat S., Guerra-Reyes L., Hensel D., Herbenick D., Anand V. (2017) A multi-method study of health behaviours and perceived concerns of sexual minority females in Mumbai, India. Sexual Health 15, 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH17042

Chakrapani, V., Vijin, P. P., Logie, C. H., Newman, P. A., Shunmugam, M., Sivasubramanian, M., & Samuel, M. (2017). Understanding How Sexual and Gender Minority Stigmas Influence Depression Among Trans Women and Men Who Have Sex with Men in India. LGBT Health, 4(3), 217–226. doi: 10.1089/lgbt.2016.0082

Chettiar, A. (2015). Problems Faced by Hijras (Male to Female Transgenders) in Mumbai with Reference to Their Health and Harassment by the Police. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 5(9), 752–759. doi: 10.7763/ijssh.2015.v5.551

Dey, S., Das, A., Raul, S., Sen, S., Shaw, T., Saha, D., ... Chatterjee, D. (2011). The identities of gendered sexual subjectivity: A report on MSM performances in Kothi network in urban West Bengal. Journal of Department of Anthropology, 12, 167–177. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248381042_The_Identities_of_Gendered_Sexual_Subjectivity_A_Report_on_MSM_Performances_in_Kothi_Network_in_Urban_West_Bengal

Kumta, S., Lurie, M., Weitzen, S., Jerajani, H., Gogate, A., Row-kavi, A., Anand, V., Makadon, H., & Mayer, K. H. (2010). Bisexuality, sexual risk taking, and HIV prevalenceamong men who have sex with men accessing voluntary counseling and testing services in Mumbai, India. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 53(2), 227–233. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181c354d8

Logie, C. H., Newman, P. A., Chakrapani, V., & Shunmugam, M. (2012). Adapting the minority stress model: Associations between gender non-conformity stigma, HIV-related stigma and depression among men who have sex with men in South India. Social Science and Medicine, 74, 1261–1268. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S027795361200113X

Mimiaga, M.J., Closson, E.F., Thomas, B. et al. Garnering an In-depth Understanding of Men Who Have Sex with Men in Chennai, India: A Qualitative Analysis of Sexual Minority Status and Psychological Distress. Arch Sex Behav44, 2077–2086 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-014-0369-0

National AIDS Control Organization of India. (2013b). A technical brief, 2012–2013. New Delhi: Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Sivasubramanian, M., Mimiaga, M. J., Mayer, K. H., Anand, V. R., Johnson, C. V., Prabhugate, P., ... Safren, S. A. (2011). Suicidality, clinical depression, and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent in men who have sex with men in Mumbai, India: Findings from a community-recruited sample. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 16, 450–462. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13548506.2011.554645

Thomas, B., Mimiaga, M. J., Mayer, K. H., Closson, E. F., Johnson, C. V., Menon, S., ... Safren, S. A. (2012). Ensuring it works: A community-based approach to HIV prevention intervention development for men who have sex with men in Chennai, India. AIDS Education and Prevention, 24, 483–499. https://doi.org/10.1521%2Faeap.2012.24.6.483

Welles, S. L., Baker, A. C., Miner, M. H., Brennan, D. J., Jacoby, S., & Rosser, B. R. (2009). History of childhood sexual abuse and unsafe anal intercourse in a 6-city study of HIV-positive men who have sex with men. American Journal of Public Health,99, 1079–1086. https://doi.org/10.2105%2FAJPH.2007.133280