Mumbai: Batting for equal civil rights for gay couples, the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) has taken a resolute position stating that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that marriage and adoption are not viable for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA).
The IPS statement emphasised that denying these rights to individuals on the LGBTQA spectrum could have adverse mental health consequences. The umbrella body of over 7,000 psychiatrists in India took the stance just before the highly anticipated Supreme Court hearing on the recognition of same-sex marriage, which is set to commence on April 18.
In 2018, the IPS supported the decriminalisation of homosexuality and individuals on the LGBTQA spectrum, under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, by asserting that these orientations are not deviant, nor an illness, but rather, variants of normal sexuality.
Sumitra Deb Roy is a health journalist with more than 17 years of...
Read MoreSumitra Deb Roy is a health journalist with more than 17 years of experience across India’s leading newspapers. She is currently a senior assistant editor with the Times of India, where she has extensively covered the Covid-19 pandemic and highlighted the unprecedented challenges faced by the health systems in Mumbai and Maharashtra. She recently co-authored a book titled “Mumbai Fights Back” that chronicles the city’s battle with Covid-19. She holds a postgraduate degree in journalism from the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai and a bachelor’s in political science from Calcutta University.
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