Delhi Gay Paeade - News

Second edition of Delhi gay parade
29 May 2009, 0000 hrs IST, AYANDRALI DUTTA , TNN
Delhi’s going to be happy, gay and proud of it again this year – the city’s second Queer pride March is all set to be held on June 28 this year.


The Delhi gay parade, after being a hit in its first edition last year, is going to be bigger and better in its second year
June 28 is the date of gay pride parades and marches all over the world because it is the date of the Stonewall riots in the USA back in 1969, when there was a spontaneous riot against persecution of homosexuals at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The march this year will start around 5.30 pm at the intersection of Barakhamba Road and Tolstoy Marg in CP, and will continue along Tolstoy Marg, ending at Jantar Mantar. Monish, a Queer Pride Committee member, says that they were expecting about 300-400 people last time, but at 1200, the turnout exceeded their expectations. “This time too, we’re expecting a huge turnout – around three times that of last year,” he says. He adds that, like last year, they’ll have a Pride party where fundraising will be done through individual financial contributions and volunteer support. The Delhi march coincides with that in Bangalore. Gay rights activist Leslie Esteves, who organised the march last year, says, “Last time, because it all came through at the last minute, we didn’t have enough time to spread the word. But this time, we are prepared. And so, there’ll be people not only from Delhi, but also from other states in the North.” Ponni, a queer feminist activist, says, “This year, the march has a little more significance for us as the most of the arguments for the legal case over Article 377 have ended and we’re waiting for the judgment to come, soon after the march takes place.” Celina Jaitly, who has an itimes blog supporting gay rights, is thrilled about the march “Last year, the Mumbai parade saw a huge turnout and it feels good to see that people have started to come out of the closet. It feels good to see them walk with pride. That’s why it’s called the Pride March. I think the fact that these marches are taking place without too much objection or obstruction in India is an indication of a great social change – especially in a country where homosexuality is still a crime by law. In the past one year, at least the abuse that gays suffer has come down. It takes courage even for those who’re to come up and say, ‘We’re with you all’”

On Bhupen Khakhar: Waiting for the Two, not Godot – Inder Salim

(Note: Friends it is a matter of great pleasure to read through the thoughts of Inder Salim, who has noted down his personal responses to some of the works of Bhupen Khakhar. Please read on and it will be wonderful to receive comments on his points.)
“He caught my hand. Involvement, allurement, attraction haddisappeared from my heart. I was thinking of paintings”. (Pages FromDiary by Bhupen Khakhar) Contemporary Gallery Specific Art rarely moves me, and even if itdoes, it evaporates soon, but the moment I saw Bhupen Khakhar’scomposition in ceramics “WAITING FOR THE TWO”. I felt instantlytransformed into another space. Nearly, two decades after I saw thepiece at a private gallery in Delhi I still feel the vibration of thatinside. Within the bulk of works in the exhibition, there was a smalldrawing in the show titled “CROSSING VAITARNI”. The two workstogether, if arranged innovatively in a single space could have reallybrought out the hidden mysterious delightful demon out the two, but aswe know, most of the shows are meant to hang the works, merely to sellas much as possible. But that is another matter.Sufi-Bhakti traditional poetry is overwhelmingly full of this desirefor the union of the Two. Its proponents yearn for a long term fusionto realize the God-like one ness, which has often a male-female,yum-yab, yin-yang like pre-condition to realize the Two, with someexceptions in Sufi tradition where Male-Male relationship aspired tofor a spiritual union. This union, once processed during Life canendure Death even, and can shine as a unique distant star in the wideopen cosmos. But Bhupen’s two never aspire to become a star, and aredown to earth entities, almost animal like, who have an earthly urgeto realize the other space without abandoning the physical form. Thequantum of sensuality hidden under the skin, in the formas-a-bag-as-a-body is almost absolute in the mind of this artist,Bhupen Khakhar.Again, in a Momin-Khan-Momin couplet, either there is oneness afterthe union of the two, or only one out of the two if the gazepenetrates the lovers, sitting face to face. This phenomenon of ‘theTwo aiming for One’ has almost a monopoly in Indian spiritualunderstanding, both in practice and in literary traditions as well.Great saint-poet-feminist like Meera, too aimed to submit her entirebeing to the concept of a sublime merger with the Blue God Krishana.Quite extraordinarily executed in words and action by a range ofsaints and poets in the past, but with Bhupen it is radicallydifferent.In Sufi conceptual thought we have Ishq-e-Majazi (love’s empiricalside, two as two), which follows the lasting realization of lovebetween the two as Ishq-e-Hakiki.( divine love’s oneness ). But Bhupennever seems to touch this over hyped or exaggerated ‘divine’ in love,although he mysteriously discovers the same, but magically, without atrace or a possibility to conceptualize a shrine, unlike in theformer.Before going into dynamics of this ‘two’, we have a highly valuedexistential one from Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot is about acharacter in absentia, perhaps, someone who is God and Idiot blendedas one. Some mundane, routine, and familiar characters are waitingunder the tree for this character called Godot. But he never arrives.Here also, the merger of the two into one never happens. Again, poetMomin says, Tum meray kisi tarah na huya, warna duyna mein kya nahinhota (I tried my best, but if you and I had become one in love, theworld would have radically changed). Translated roughly.Again, in the Backett’s one, there is some sinister air about thenon-arrival of Godot. Needless to remind, that Godot was born in thebeing of nothingness of World War II. There was pain in the air, somehope too. In Backet’s own words, he wrote: “just to escape my awfulprose writing those days”. In Sufi-Bhakti poetry it is again, the onlymeans to escape the mundane of the stark temporality heavy upon themind. But with Bhupen it is the mundane which reproduces its own kindof fish to swim within the mundane itself.In a Rene Magritte painting, two half-fish-half-human are in a deepembrace on the sea shore with a sailing ship in the back ground, aship made up of water is a profound desire to fill our consciousnesswith the idea of a beginning of our love life which emerged from sealife. But as we know we have lost that echo, even if we understand ourprimordial past scientifically. Drawing it surreally-realistically thefigures in stone gives it a vast but sad movement at the same time,although a very powerful visible form to contemplate.But with ‘waiting for the two’ we are face to face with an invisiblepresence of a set of two. For this and some other works as well,Bupen uses everything, Indian folk and Modern, Indian mythology andpopular, to realize this love’s beginning in the present. He is toointerested in what is happening to him and his lover, both imaginedand real. He sees this two everywhere, and yet he is rushing to havea ‘darshan’ of the two. They ‘the two’ are always within his reach,and yet he goes from painting to painting to verify that if the twoare still there, on the tree, in the caves, merged in a group, or in abed room.Bhupen would not have given birth to this ‘waiting for the two’ andother works if Western Modern art forms had not influenced him at MSUniversity Baroda, but his love for his present as two-as-two neverleft any space empty, neither for a traditional two-as-one or for amodern one as in Godot. He celebrates life.In his chapter Disappearance of Literature, from THE BOOK TO COME,Maurice Blanchot says “ …literature is going towards itself, towardsits essence, which is its disappearance”. Quite magically, Bhupen hasgiven form to a disappearance through an absence of the two. Theabsence of the two is ontologically posited in the composition, andhence it creates an instant possibility to deliver this special two. The two can be anything, Lord Rama Lord Laxmana in an sensualembrace (one of his water colour) , or in ‘ crossing vaitarini’ thetwo naked males holding the tail of a mythical cow who is helping ‘thetwo’ lovers without guilt to cross the hell to enter heaven. In onesense, both the hell (hell as the grotesque figures in the cow) andheaven (heaven as the two naked males holding the tail) are justvisible in a single frame. This Hindu belief that a cow if donatedduring life time can help the mortal human being to cross the hurdlesafter death, for Bhupen it becomes a vehicle to meet his loverwaiting in the apartment across the street in Baroda . The painting‘crossing vaitarni’ is breathing the same air which Bhupen isbreathing. Because he is only thinking about Two, always.This waiting for the TWO is the engine of a thought-machine whichtransported me once, and is still elevating my circularity of thoughtto understand both empirical and metaphysical reality of what hasdisappeared. That is one dimension.‘Waiting for the Two’ also reminds me a less familiar Prem Chand storyin which he shows the strange behaviour of an old lady. She is morethan hundred years old, and it was the marriage ceremony of hergrand-grand-grand children’s marriage where she just uninhibitedlyeats the food. And as we know, in India, bride grooms usually arrive alittle late in the evening, so these old women had to wait for thecouple, endlessly. The story ends with her eating the food left overby guests. No body interferes in her behaviour, not even his owngrand-children.Bhupen in his work ‘waiting for the two’ shows five old, more than 100year old women sitting in a row in front of seven plates full ofvegetarian meals. There is no one in front of the two plates, and sono one is eating. One instantly realizes that it is because of thematerial in art which makes it immobile, and hence not Life. The oldwomen are not living forms but dead forms. And if so, then the twoholding the tail of a cow are living entities, which are quiteworldly, and that is why they are not there, and these five old womenare waiting for the two. So, Bhupen celebrates Death withoutdisappearance of the two (two lovers) during his life time. Or, ifthey are they dead, holding the tail of a cow, and the set of fivewomen had to wait for the two who will arrive any moment, but when?Paradoxically, the vulnerability of an Artist is multi limbed. Thenumber of arms around his shoulders are indirectly proportional to hisinability to manage worldly commitments. The more he realizes hisfailures in life, the more he invests in Art. He becomes a Bhagwan (God) like entity ( say a deity like Vishnu ) who declares hislimitations to make love in spite of many arms available to him tohold his beloved. It is almost similar to what we can possibly see ina dream. This vulnerability of artists is universal, and the loversare not exceptional. They also die like other human beings, anddisappear from the vast visibility of our actual continuity of life inthe present. It is exactly here, that Bhupen Khakhar escapes the factof death. He and his beloved are two and want to live and cross theriver of this worldly hell unharmed.In his 1995 water colour, titled “An Old Man From Vasad Who Had FivePenises Suffered from Runny Nose”http://www.artnet.sk/Magazine/features/asia/images/ziegesar3s.jpgBhupen has once again given birth to a God like thing, who is alreadywalking on the earth somewhere. Here, the newspaper item, becomes asacred mantra which inspires him to illustrate the latest deity, whichis akin to the first artist who might have drawn, for example, aGanesha after reading or hearing some story about the elephant God.Here, a casually drawn human being with many penises. The figure isalmost in a hospital, waiting for a some surgery. He wants to get ridof the surplus of penises, waiting for just one functional penis, andthat may eventually heal his runny nose as well. In this work hepaints the man’s hand with six fingers, which is unusual but hiscausal drawing, almost bad drawing of hands is a universal feature inhis works.And this feature ‘Bhupen Hands’ has seduced me to no end. His baddrawing of hands are the tools, like talisman in his paintings whichinvite us for a ‘darshan’ (deedar in urdu,which means the exceptionallook of divinity, or beloved). So, in the work titled ‘Darshan’ hehas deliberately painted a pair of such two hands of two men hangingoutside the frame of a marriage event.http://www.culturebase.net/inc/mediaimage.php?file=artist_834_2103_khakhar_darshan.jpg. Amazingly, there is no one looking at the main highlight inside thepainting. That means, it is almost the norm, but, here in the work itis perhaps aimed to initiate a discourse on homosexuality, therefore,political. In his work. Muslims around a Mosque, again he shows thatthe notion that non-existence of a QUEER in any community is a myth.He is not interested in the penis as a matter of fact, whether it iscircumcised or not. He is interested in the simple desire of a humanbeing, that desire which exclusive-heterosexuality has impaired. Thevictim inevitably is woman. So Bhupen is a feminist artist in thatsense as well.The two male winged human beings are about to touch their penises. Ihave read somewhere about some ancient Hindu Vedic practice that theyoung elder son is supposed to touch all the parts of his body withhis dying father to inherit all his smaskaras (wise ways of living).This practice includes touching of each others penises as well. SoBhupen in his work yayatihttp://www.artanddealmagazine.com/images/issue27/essay11.jpg he giftsa pair of wings to these earthly figures. There is no hit of death,nor is there any possibility of loosing any potency because of penisto penis touch. With wings, they look like representatives of Kama Dev( Love God ) to energize the homosexual world. All his wants is love,nothing but love.In his work, ‘inside Man’s heart’ he is using Lord Hanuman’s gesturethat reveals his love for Rama and Sita. Lord Hanuman rips his chestviolently to reveal what is inside his heart. But Bhupen’sprotagonist ‘man’ in his water colour reveals not two but many meninside and outside his heart. He has indeed made love with number ofmen in his life. A simple sensual male to male sex, for a simplehuman ejaculation.“ So? it is very rare to have false lovers these days” Says one ofhis characters, Savita in a Gujarati play ‘ Manjulial Manilal . Bhupenis not worried about what is true or false in love and life. For himthis world is the only reality which one needs to realize. This lifeis worth living, even a for a begger. So the mythological charactersbecome worldly ( almost ) and the real characters become mythological( almost ).Any citizen of India or a tourist can sit in the lap of a sittinglarge Gandhi Bronze, but when Bhupen (a performance) sat and gothimself photographed by Ram Rahman, he paid an erotic tribute to theFather of the Nation. By sitting in his lap, he instantly transformed into the penis of Gandhi, because of difference in scale, difference in proportion between a icon and ordinary. But, a small but living penis of agreat but dead statesman. He effortlessly executing his ideas,whether this performance or his water colour; and one keeps onwondering about the genius of this great artist without which IndianArt would have, a little peevishly, always looked a clever derivativeof what we casually call Modern Western Art.Thanks to Bhupen Khakhar, the Artist.

Delhi Queer Pride '09

Announcing the Delhi Queer Pride '09! For the second year running queer people, friends, and allies take this message to the streets!Queer Pride is a celebration. It is about loving who we are, whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, hijra or straight, and affirming everyone's right to be respected.Starts at 5:30pm, Sunday, June 28th, 2009, at the corner of Barakhamba Road and Tolstoy Marg.We'll gather at the Corner of Barakhamba Road and Tolstoy Marg at 5:00 pm. The Parade commences at 5:30, down Tolstoy Marg to Jantar Mantar, where we will have more celebrating!********Delhi Queer Pride is an open forum. Anyone - gay, bisexual, transgender, lesbian or straight can join. Please email delhiqueerpride@gmail.com to be part of organising Delhi Queer Pride '09.********The Queer Pride is organised by the LGBT community for the LGBT community and allies, and not by any organisations, and we hope that it can continue to be entirely funded by individual donations from queer and queer friendly people from India and elsewhere. To find out how you can donate and contribute to Queer Pride '09, please email finance.delhipride@gmail.com.

Onir's OMAR brings to fore the plight of gay men

May 20, 2009 4:25:58 PM ISTJoginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network, From Glamsham.com

A little while back, film maker Onir had announced that he would be telling five short stories in a single movie. While he is currently casting for his film(s) and is looking at kick starting the principal shoot in the 1st week of June, he is managing to create quite some buzz with the themes that his stories are going to explore. Earlier in news for his story 'Abhimanyu' that touches upon the subject of child abuse, Onir's second short film 'Omar' promises to reveal the nexus between police and male sex workers which has time and again resulted in blackmail and abuse of gay men on the pretext of using article 377. Says Onir, ''In India because of the archaic law created by the British which has been long discarded in UK, homosexuality is criminalized by law under article 377, whereas any man caught in a homosexual act can be imprisoned for life. This law is very often used by the police to harass and extort money from gay men. With my film, I wish to bring out some facts that I have collected in front of the audience.'' 'Omar' tells the story of how because of fear of society and law, gay men very often get blackmailed and are scared to do anything about it.
CHECK OUT : Onir's five films to have a common thread of 'fear' Adds Onir, ''This film is based on real life stories and incidences. It questions the law and society where the concern should be around addressing the deep and growing violence that could make one go up in arms against an expression of adult consensual love.'' ''For long many important issues have been ignored by mainstream Indian cinema'', rues Onir, ''Our idea is to release each film for educational/awareness/festival purposes and eventually compile all five short films into one release for the general audiences. We believe that independent cinema exists to give a voice to those working against the tide and outside the system.'' 'Onir' is being produced by Sanjay Suri and Onir with dialogues by Ashwini Malik, lyrics by Amitabh Varma and music by Pritam.

Calling for gay rights in India - Celina Jaitly

Friday May 15, 2009 The Times of India - Blogs
I became a part of the world of glamour at the very young age of 16. And not only since then, but somehow from childhood I have had gay friends and have been a part of their agonies and ecstasies . It’s horrid... just like apartheid when your very existence is a crime and you are discriminated against just because of what you are.
One of the two people who were catalysts in my taking the gay rights issue to another level, was a transgender makeup artist who was 50-years-old and stood by me in my struggling days as a model and actor. He was like a mother to me, he gave me pocket money when I was broke, and even looked after me when I was ill. Thanks to him I became a Miss India. He sent my entry application and I went on to become a Miss Universe runner-up. He, too, suffered in the battle against society and underwent many heartbreaking incidents of gay-bashing before passing away in an accident two years ago. He, too, wanted to do a lot for the transgender community... and my makeup on my wedding day, which never happened.
Join My Petition For Equal Rights For Gays
The other person lived through the trauma of being in a relationship with a closeted gay (who went on to become one of my dearest friends) and who also passed away last year having been a victim of depression and bulimia due to the stresses of being gay in a homophobic society. He was also a victim of gay bashing alcoholism and drug abuse and there came a point that despite his illness we couldn't get him help; his family refused to accept the fact that he was gay and that’s what was causing it, because he couldn’t be himself. Well his family... they didn’t even know of the concept. Besides these two, I have had the love and friendship of many gay friends and my own gay employees who I feel I owe my support to. They all inspire me to continue doing this... I owe it to their love and memory.
The biggest hurdle in India (the world’s largest democracy) which stands in the way of gay rights is Section 377... this law has been used to systematically persecute, blackmail, arrest and terrorize sexual minorities. Section 377 is also seen as an anachronism from a less tolerant era and health care officials struggling to contain India’s AIDS epidemic warn that it is constantly hampering their efforts to contact vulnerable groups. I would like to most importantly point out that the (Section 377) legislation was introduced by British colonial authorities and does not reflect on Hindu cultural values. Even a prince was not spared of people’s misunderstanding and misacceptance of gays in India.
In 2005, Prince Manavendra Singh Gohil from a conservative principality in Gujarat publicly came out as gay. He was quickly anointed by the Indian and world media as the first openly gay royal. He was promptly disinherited as an immediate reaction by the royal family, but they eventually reconciled. Since then, Prince Manavendra has even appeared at the Oprah Winfrey show. Then, in 2008, Zoltan Parag, a competitor at the Mr. Gay International contest said that he was “scared” to return to India for fear of discrimination. He said, “The Indian media has exposed me so much that now when I call my friends back home, their parents do not let them talk to me.”
However, there are many gay tolerant countries and societies in the world. For instance Iceland, which is set to appoint the world’s first openly gay Prime Minister — a former flight attendant who rose through the political ranks to become a cabinet minister. Johanna Sigurdardottir, the island nation’s 66-year-old Social Affairs Minister, is the pick of the Social Democratic Alliance Party to lead an interim government. “Johanna is a very good woman — but she likes public spending, she is a tax raiser,” said Geir Haarde, who quit as Prime Minister partly for health reasons. Johanna entered politics through the labour movement, serving as a labour organiser when she worked as a flight attendant with Loftleidir Airlines — now Icelandair, in the 1960s and 1970s. She was first elected to Iceland’s parliament in 1978. She became a minister in 1987 and has held her current post since 1999. Despite her veteran status, many Icelanders regard her as a maverick and respect her work promoting the welfare of minority groups. She faces the difficult task of repairing the nation’s shattered economy and rebuilding public trust in the government. Icelanders are deeply angry at their government for not reining in the country’s banks and leading the once-prosperous nation into an economic nightmare.
But sadly in India, except for the glamour industry, gay people are looked down upon. I personally know of gay doctors, hotel professionals, even scientists and government officials who are terrified of the fact that if people at their work or their families come to know, hell will break loose. So they live a suffocating closeted life and carry on becoming victims of depression, alcoholism and drug abuse. On June 29, 2008, four Indian cities (Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Puducherry) celebrated Gay Pride parades. These were the first in Delhi, Bangalore and Puducherry. About 2,000 people turned out in these nationwide parades. I joined my gay friends in this endeavour. Though not much is happening about gay rights, at least now that I speak much about it people are talking about it and the media has started showing support.
India needs to shrug off its colonial mentality and come out of its all-prevalent homophobia. It appalls and dismays me to see the attitudes of Indian people towards homosexuals/bisexuals — they’re subject to really insensitive jokes/comments and open derision. The whole tendency is to brush everything under the carpet — discussing sexuality or sexual health is a taboo even now. No wonder India is so afflicted with HIV/AIDS and the situation can only get worse if it keeps getting brushed under the carpet. An HIV-AIDS prevention organization, The NAZ Foundation, has sued to have Section 377 overturned but the case was rejected on grounds that “public morality” should “prevail over the exercise of any private right”. The petition is being heard again on appeal.
When someone tries to identify with the gay/bisexual community, people and friends say, “Sexuality is only one very small aspect of life. It shouldn’t define who you are.” But what they don’t understand is THAT is exactly what the gay community is fighting for. People should understand that gays/bisexuals are normal too and just like any other human being. High time India got rid of that parochial law. The saddest thing is that not even the younger generation, whom one expects new vision and liberalism from, is very supportive... their idea of modernization (as a fan of mine wrote to me) is “working in multinationals and IT companies, experiencing their nouveau riches and playing with cellphones and drinking at bars”.
I was most happy recently to relaunch Bombay Dost (India’s first gay magazine) along with Prince Manvendra and gay rights activist Ashok Row Kavi .The new Bombay Dost comes with the tag-line ‘bolder than ever’ — the ‘boldness’ has to do with the forthrightness with which the LGBT cultural expression is showcased. The magazine is a standard bearer for the growing confidence and artistic alacrity displayed by India’s homosexuals, says Nitin Karani (gay rights activist). I feel it eschews any notion of ‘them and us’ and mirrors the inclusiveness that we would expect in a more egalitarian society. For a lot of people, gay identity consists of maybe a few behavioral traits, superficial characteristics or even psychological symptoms. For many it is merely a ‘sex thing’. Bombay Dost seeks to break out of these limiting notions. It is not just about sexuality or gender constructs, but about the people we adore, the lives we live, the cultural experiences that shape gay community — everything around and everything around them.
My advice to all people who want to support gay rights in India is: Everybody thinks of changing humanity but nobody thinks of changing themselves.... change your attitude towards gay people from within and your support is shown.
I have come up the hard way with unwavering faith in my principles and always trusted my instincts. Due to personal reasons also this cause is very important to me. I don’t know how I am going to do it.. .but I know only one thing, and that is I am going to do it. I feel it’s not about gay rights ... it’s about human dignity and human rights. Some one had to stand up and I did so.

"Take the first step in faith, you don’t have to see the whole staircase... just take the first step.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

You can support my petition to the health ministry to have Section 377 amended by joining me on my group: Join My Petition For Equal Rights For Gays
Comments:
Agree (28) Disagree (60)
SG says: May 15, 2009 at 11:48 PM IST
I am impressed that Celine Jaitly will risk the wrath of the majority, who sadly remains either ignorant or worse, bigotted on gay matters. Let's face it, we can think of a few stars and politicians (even at the most top) who have been gay and never came out, nor could they feel they had the courage to be open.
Agree (21) Disagree (51)

Prof Ramesh Manghirmalani says: May 16, 2009 at 12:31 AM IST
I agree with you . following rights should be given# Civil Unions Benefits# Definitions: Use of State laws that confer benefits or rights to people based on their marital or family status, such as family landowner rights to hunt and fish, or definitions of family farmers.# Adoption: Entitled to all the protections and benefits available when adopting. Same-sex couples already are allowed to adopt, but laws would reflect that those couples would now be treated as spouses.# Compensation: Use of victims' compensation and workers' compensation related to spouses.Discrimination: Use of laws prohibiting discrimination based on marital status.Health Care: Able to make medical decisions for incapacitated partner. Able to visit hospitals visitation and be notified of a partner's condition.# Insurance: State employees are treated as spouses for insurance or continuing care contracts.# Lawsuits: Able to sue for wrongful death, the emotional distress caused by a partner's death or injury, and loss of consortium caused by death or injury.Property: Entitled to joint title, transfer from one to the other on death, and property transfer tax benefits.Probate: Use probate law and procedures.State Tax: Treated as an economic unit.Testimony: Not be compelled to testify against one another
Agree (13) Disagree (34)

Ramesh Manghirmalani says: May 16, 2009 at 12:34 AM IST
In 1779, Thomas Jefferson (US president ) proposed a law that would mandate castration for gay men and mutilation of nose cartilage for gay women. But that's not the scary part. Here's the scary part: Jefferson was considered a liberal. At the time, the most common penalty on the books was death.
224 years later, the U.S. Supreme Court finally put an end to laws criminalizing same-sex intercourse in Lawrence v. Texas. Lawmakers at both the state and federal level continue to target lesbians and gay men with draconian legislation and hateful rhetoric. The gay rights movement is still working to change this.1951: First National Gay Rights Organization is Founded
Agree (30) Disagree (59)

amit says: May 16, 2009 at 02:20 AM IST
must have equal GAY rights
Agree (20) Disagree (42)

Purposefully anonymous says: May 16, 2009 at 02:45 AM IST
Probably the purpose of this 'movement' should be corrected upfront. I understand that it is to 'let' such people live their lives...We Indians have been so 'self-centric' that we read the intensions of this movement as intended to 'make' people gayish. Which probably is not the truth.If the above statements are true, I agree Celina!
Agree (22) Disagree (107)

souvik sarkar says: May 16, 2009 at 06:51 AM IST
I am 37 years single gay man. I hearty support all the gay movement in India as well as world.The history tell us , from beginning of any change in the society their will be some restriction . And by stand up by some good people the real change will be accepted by the society.It is the time when some good people like CELINA and others has open their hand for good cause. Thanks CELINA, your support will really helpful for our movement. So i request to everyone before comments on this movement you really think for heart not form brain because( I quote some line)Why do We close our eyeswhen we pray,when we cry,when we kiss,when we dream,because the most beautiful thingsin life are not seen but felt only by heart..So think once again & comment on this topic.
Agree (5) Disagree (33)

Kannan says: May 16, 2009 at 06:52 AM IST
I think with proper gender sensitization campaign in schools and colleges, homophobia can be curbed.But I think its too early for it coz we treat women as cattle(except in worshiping female deities) and corporal punishments and ragging are seen as totally normal. It would have been awesome if you could do something for women in Afghanistan who are in worse condition than in India using our embassies...since u r partial Afghan too..it will create a lot of goodwill for India too..
Agree (22) Disagree (22)
Roy Choweller says: May 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM IST
No issues about having self professed gays being in the mainstream...special rights or the right to adopt or the right to openly show affection in our culture is an ABSOLUTE NO.
Agree (46) Disagree (39)

Vivek Chaudhary says: May 16, 2009 at 10:27 AM IST
Sick mind can only think most sickening things. Most unnatural activity and you want rights. Even animals know better than this. Grow up Celina. Just to gain stupid sympathy, you don't want to loose your most admirable, beautiful gift from God. I am not sure if this will get posted here but I hope you read this and it touches your heart and mind. God's true blessings on you.
Agree (50) Disagree (44)

praveen says: May 16, 2009 at 10:45 AM IST
I completely dis accept Celina supporting gay.
PLEASE DO NOT GO AGAINST NATURE its not good for us and country too
Agree (26) Disagree (30)
thra says: May 16, 2009 at 10:54 AM IST
We human can be really cruel... putting a section of people under wraps and supression just because they love differently? Gays are human first, we must recognise that and have them be free.
Agree (29) Disagree (34)

Sumedha says: May 16, 2009 at 11:00 AM IST
Well said celina.Till the other person is not creating any nuisance or indecensency we should not interfere in his / her sexual preference. Everybody should have equal freedom in choosing his partner.
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MANISH JAIN says: May 16, 2009 at 11:36 AM IST
Celina: Please dont teach us what is good and bad in gays. Gays are perverts. In any case they dont deserve recognition. If they want to practice what they have learnt let it be in the privacy of their homes but definitely not in the public domain. else i request them to shift base to America and europe where they can be called normal but definitely not in India.
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ff says: May 16, 2009 at 11:45 AM IST
selena mam, pick up a slum or a village and work for poor uneducated childrens there. don't take this western c***p in India, we have far larger problems than this.
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Hero Hiralal says: May 16, 2009 at 12:52 PM IST
This is bizarre. God made male and female so that they can cohabitate and keep the tribe going. How on earth is it right for male and male and female and female to mary. This is totally against nature and only pseudo intellectuals, who lack any intellect really, propagate this
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Anil K Puvvada says: May 16, 2009 at 01:02 PM IST
It doesn't matter. A person should have rights based on his individuality. If he doesn't have the right as an individual, he shouldn't have it as a member of a group, gay, cast or otherwise. Keeping all this bloviation aside, I am against any special privileges by law for gays and such perverts. Law should address society and perverts (gays, pedophiles, or other; in any form) are harmful to society.
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Bindu says: May 16, 2009 at 01:03 PM IST
Celina: Very sad , it is totally against the nature. One should not support this kind of mentally disordered people.
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seema goray says: May 16, 2009 at 01:06 PM IST
being gay is sexual perversion and no religion sanctions it ,just find how it hurts the parents!
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aatreya says: May 16, 2009 at 01:26 PM IST
,( my English is bad please kindly understand what I meant in my message, it took me 3 days to write this message)
thankk you celina, you are a godess to me, a gay man only son to my parents, forcibly my engagement is being arranged, am scared, so panicky, forget about my life, what abt the girl? who is going to be my wife soon,i dont wanna cheat her, make her life miserable,i dont know what would she be dreaming abt her married life? she is a decent, very goodlooking,reserved soft spoken girl from a very conservative family, please do something, help me outfast,if not for me atleast for the sake of this girl,i have nowhere to go deserting my ageing parents,i have to stay in the same society and want to live,i am too scared to perish my life for what i am, never knew am going to be gay after my birth, is it my fault? straight people have given birth to us, and society is dominated by them and most of them are cruel to us, including our government, please celina give me my rights am writing this to you all tears in my eyes, your bollywood industry is huge world known many are politicians,powerful actors rich and famous where as am only from a middle class family. not a celeb nor a powerful politicians, please convey my sad message to his world, i really think you can do it, i trust in you, and you can be a real godess to us, i dont know how many men and women are suffeing by fake marriages in this country please relieve them pleaseI want to ask this society why not discover us when we are in our mothers womb and commit gay infanticide? Like many people do female infanticide in this country. As we are at their mercy.I want to ask the future parents what would you do if u get a son like me? Kill him? Course your fate? Or course him foreverIf our rights were granted by this society long ago, I could tell my parents boldly “ dear mom and dad, am gay, they would have happily accepted me as a gay son and let me live with my preferences, “cause they knew portion of this population also consists of gays
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Adeep says: May 16, 2009 at 01:27 PM IST
Alright Celina, you got noticed. Now please move on...
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Jay says: May 16, 2009 at 01:31 PM IST
Celina, nature has chosen man and woman as partners. You might definitly have found somebody helpful to you. But would that justiy some one to go against the very nature?
Man has gone greedy and is mostly driven by desire. I feel if some one has lost interest in opposite sex, he/she should consult a doctor, fore it is for each other's satisfaction, the man and woman are created and it is through their union the a new generation is created.
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aatreya says: May 16, 2009 at 02:36 PM IST
,( my English is bad please kindly understand what I meant in my message, it took me 3 days to write this message)
Dear Celina,Please don’t give in to those blog messages who are posting “ ANTI GAY MESSAGES”PLEASE DON’T BETRAY US.Ask them the reality, what if their beloved child later turn out to be a gay or lebn?The gays keep coming in this world they came in history, they are here in the present, they keep coming in the future, ask these kind of anti gay elements in the society if they can be able to stop them coming into this world?as someone an anti gay, in the blog, said to you Celina why don’t you take up other issues and stop showing sympathy to gays, tell him u r one individual, and restoring a right to a certain community is your personal interest, none of his business to guide you, We are humans first, dear Celina, some anti gay man accused of us having creating obscenity in the public places, we are also like any other straight people, I too have seen such kind of obscene action by straight couples in public places.which is not accepted by the society either, then why he is worried about us? As we are lack of our rights, we cant find a home in this country, I WISH THIS WORLD GIVE US A PIECE OF LAND WHERE WE FORM OUR SOCIETY, OUR GOVERNMENT, so we can live on our own , away from these weird anti gay people of India, who think our birth itself is a course to humanity,Dearest Celina, as an ANGEL AND A MESSENGER between god and us you have made up your mind to create world for us, I appreciate from the bottom of my heart and pray to god “ PLEASE GOD SEND MILLIONS OF SUCH CELINAS , WHAT WE OURSELVES CANT DO SHE IS DOING, A YOUNG BEATIFUL GIRL A STAR, A CEBRITY ON A MISSION FOR A GOOD CAUSE, PLEASE GOD STAY WITH HER TILL HER MISSION IS ACCOMPLISHED, AND COURSE THOSE WHO ARE HAMPERING AND TAMPERING HER MISSION”I beg you please don’t get discouraged by these anti gay blog messages, why blame animals, first of all they are not humans, why not you put all together in your industry give our rightsSome time back health minister dr,ambumani ramadoss said he would give our rights so far nothing seems be happening why?//
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Tom says: May 16, 2009 at 02:43 PM IST
Hey Moderator. Playing around with numbers, eh?
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Erphan says: May 16, 2009 at 02:53 PM IST
Celina: You are fighting for the wrong cause. Getting involved in Gay activity will increase the spread of disease like AIDS, which has no cure still...You are amognst such person, who is responsible for spiling the culture.
After some time, there will be a persons in India who would support lesbians.
PRESERVE THE CULTURE OF INDIA, DO NOT FOLLOW WEST.
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Syed says: May 16, 2009 at 02:58 PM IST
I believe Celina's brother, father and husband are all gays. She is really spoiling the country's diverse culture since she failed badly in doing some good movies. Some one please tell Celina to choose some other topics to be in news.Absolutely ridicilous of Celina...
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syed fahim says: May 16, 2009 at 03:05 PM IST
you may have freind that are supportive in to your personal life and unfortunately he was gay.if your brother is the same as that guy, and its supportive in your personal life. do you agree his marriage with a guy, and welcome to your house,\first man need to understand bad and good, its true that if any body posses bad habit , then it doesnt mean he is bad rather his habit is bad,that cannot be acceptable to society. my celina commments is more personal then issue open to sociry.
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Francis De Souza says: May 16, 2009 at 03:45 PM IST
Dear Celina....Accepting gays in society is one thing and demanding rights is another. For example gays cannot get married just like Elton John...God made Adam and Eve remember...not Adam and Steve. Yes gays are talented artists and have the right to live in society..and should enjoy regular privileges and acceptance in societh.
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Straight says: May 16, 2009 at 03:45 PM IST
Dogs, Cats and all other animals know what is right and what is wrong since time began (oh! by the way they still haven't changed, hmm makes me think how have they have become superior to us now ), and now to gain sympathy and acceptance this is a nice trick.Imagine half of the world going gay and from where will you get the next generation...Steralization whatever that is??I can't believe you guyz are literate but lost, and to make yourselves comfortable you are ready to misguide others.Go and help poor people who really need help, may be when you get some time from shedding your clothes on screen.!
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shahbeeb says: May 16, 2009 at 03:51 PM IST
this is redicules, now what u want is that india also sees man with man, shame on u. and bythe way what the so called culture protector thinking about it. this is just a trash. please do not encourage it. this is not good for india.
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rao harsh vardhan singh says: May 16, 2009 at 05:20 PM IST
look in western world they eat beef too.i know celina wouldnotmind eating beeef likemany hindus who eat beef abroad/but is there no indian who would go with me .is cow not our motherthese days humanity is dying?people throw away their parents in old age homes.wher eowuld india go i am so sorry for my india/betetr to leave india soonis worst place on earth , and such epope even after lot of aeducation still remians so innocent/
if a man can marry another man then why cant you allow a dog to be married to a girldo you have any anser?if they loves each other then why cant you allow?you must allow i would also move to courts against celina and sue her for many thing she would never come out of that i bet .
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rao harsh vardhan singh says: May 16, 2009 at 05:21 PM IST
I WOULD love to say that such talks make peope lthink and feel them more close to guys , i mean we are indians and we have a culture which is world famous and never we had such things , but as its liberal world , such things can be allowed but thene how would they get babiesif india too would get lesbians and gays where would our culture goalready dirty people have kille dmy great country .and such actress should first admit or feel they should have values dont know what her son of she marries ever would feel about her when he would see her kissing scenes . for bollywood peoplemoney is all what they never can get is values and now they would try to teach india . good . moving to courts on western thoughts is not good
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rao harsh vardhan singh says: May 16, 2009 at 05:24 PM IST
cant she work for dogs to marry girls ?hope such girls dont mind dogs aare also life have rights whats the prob when they 2 r ready kya karega kaazi (crticism of her decision) she can also move court she may also tell to eat beef .
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rao harsh vardan singh says: May 16, 2009 at 05:25 PM IST
already i never liked her now she proved it well
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rao harsh vardhan singh says: May 16, 2009 at 05:33 PM IST
i would not never read time sof india thi is also not liberal in allowing my comments why they feel andmark mye as spam i dont worry about lawsuits then why they infringe my rights to speak up whatever i have inmind. so indian and they speak of gay rights. i know indians betetr dual minded . best is usa news going there write ba dof indians happy now also write about celina smartly there if bollywood can go hollywood why cant i .
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Danish says: May 16, 2009 at 06:22 PM IST
I am a busy kinda person and if only, I had some time to spare (like celina who has loads of it) I would also have started a campaign/petition to make Section 377 EVERLASTING with no room for any future AMENDMENT.Thanks.. but no thanks!!
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felix says: May 16, 2009 at 07:01 PM IST
Pleasure from sexual activities is an incentive to maintain human race by stabilizing the bond between husband and wife. All other selfish motives to derive sexual pleasure gradually ruins human race. Just broaden your vision, think of the next generation....... For them to survive in a secure family(husband+wife+children),there has to be no compromise on the natural ways of sexual expression. It is really heartbreaking to realize, that you have learned nothing from the ruined western culture - where majority of children are with 'single parent'and people living selfishly, die off without contributing a new generation. It is really a shame to support and promote homosexual activities. Let the younger generation rise up aganist these cunning moves to legalise homosexuality. God save India.
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Pushpendra says: May 16, 2009 at 07:22 PM IST
i am against this western gay culture, ask to people in west who are already fedup with this gay culture, please we are happy with our culture and happy in the straight world rather than unusual.
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Sunny says: May 16, 2009 at 07:36 PM IST
In todays world to an extent its ok to have such relationship but what about their future? For present they are going to loose so many things in future after certain age, On this earth family means a man, woman & childern & the circle goes on....., today we are on this earth because of this cycle , Are they going to enjoy the family life anytime? answer is simply no........
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amit says: May 16, 2009 at 07:47 PM IST
Hey Celina, I am in US for 15 years, But, people here do not accept gay in most of the states, It's considered as against the law as well as against the law of nature.
Being such a free country and NOT WITH TALIBAN, people here look at gays with prospective.
Religious people do not accept them in church.
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amit says: May 16, 2009 at 08:29 PM IST
would celina let or encourage her brother and dad to be a gay.? hypocrate
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vimal says: May 16, 2009 at 08:31 PM IST
She does not have any thing to do these days thats why she is doing this. I mean if gay people think they are normal they themselves should protest for their right. She will gain little bit popularity by this nothing else because her godfather Feroz Khan has passed away so now no one will have mercy on her to give her role as he was giving her for exchange of some pleasure.She is totally gone and this was the only opportunity for her to gain some kind of popularity
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aatreya says: May 16, 2009 at 11:01 PM IST
anti gay people are worse than terroristsneither they are humans nor they are animals they creatures of adverse nature
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Pradeep says: May 16, 2009 at 11:59 PM IST
India is supposed to be a democracy, but it still allows many kinds of human rights violations, including persecution of backward communities and persecution of gay people. No civilized society can allow any segment of its society to be discriminated against for what they are.
India is practically the rape capital of the world for the rape and sexual assault of women. In India, opportunity creates the rapist. No member of the female sex is spared, whether babies, children, relatives, neighbours' kids, old ladies, foreign tourists. Indian heterosexual men rape them all. And yet these same heterosexual men claim that stopping discrimination against gay men can lead to fall in moral values of Indian society. For your information, you heterosexual rapists have already degraded India's moral values to the maximum extent. Foreigners hesitate to come to India because of fear of being raped by you heterosexuals who claim to uphold India's morality. This rapist majority has no right to attack the gay community that just wants to mind its own business. .Decent gay people will not be suppressed any more by ignorant stupid rapist heterosexuals. Unite and fight for your rights. In unity lies strength. Don't let a bunch of ignorant and stupid rapists decide your fate.
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ff says: May 17, 2009 at 01:27 AM IST
selena mam, right now your tiny brain is pitching for man + man , women + women unions. I can see your future, you pitching for man + beast (cat, donkey, etc) or some other combination based on pervert imaginations. Social acceptance and rights for people who are transgender by birth is undestandable, but you are barking at a totally wrong tree.
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Madhusudhan Bhattacharya says: May 17, 2009 at 01:39 AM IST
Hi All,I currently live in Finland & here Gay people are treated fortunately like any other human being with even rights to marry each other.I don't say that we have to blindly follow western countries regarding gay rights but atleast we as a civilised society stop treating gays like some social untouchables.Here in western world also there are some restrictions on gay rights like rights to adopt children but overall they are having all other rights like other people living in society.We in India can start first by acknowledging that they are very much a part of our society and by no means inferior to any other individual just because they have diffrent sexual orientation.Therefore i strongly support Celina on this noble cause.
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Eddy says: May 17, 2009 at 01:45 AM IST
We should encourage homosexuality and gay marriages in India. It would be a good method for population control and the gays will be happy too!! Win win situation!
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Prof Ramesh Manghirmalani-Damascus says: May 17, 2009 at 02:12 AM IST
Vimal, I dis agree with you and your silly comments, never attack people personally, attack the issues, if you like to be bi sexual it is your problem. I do not judge people on their sexuality but gay is a choice. So, then, although I am not gay and cannot imagine myself engaging in a homosexual act, I am personally, along with intellectually, offended by the current outbreak of homophobia surrounding the gay marriage issue.This outbreak is driven by, among other things, raw hatred, ignorance, illogicality, irrational fear and, alas, crass election-year politics. Gay are humans why do you want to attack them.
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Sunil says: May 17, 2009 at 02:29 AM IST
I think, after gay rights, next thing would be , people asking for rights to marry & have sex with their dogs, cows, bulls, rabbits etc. and finally with Robots and clones...
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sanjeev says: May 17, 2009 at 03:00 AM IST
Nothing remotely sensible can be said about gayness if people don't start first realizing that most humans are both heterosexual ans marginally homosexuals (see kingsley report based on informed data). Denying one's leanings just leads to repression and violence & is very bad for society at large. A lot of what previous contributors have written is misinformed. Their vocabulary is common to all intolerant people in the world : people who had to suffer from terrorist attacks should feel offended by "worse than terorists": who do homosexuals kill? And dont't bring aids into the picture : aids is mostly spread through heterosexual intercourse and favored by repressed attitudes such as are given vent in this blog. Are people who say that gay culture does not belong to their culture sure of that? Did they in time and space, and checked in back yards and bedrooms and wherever hidden sex is happening? Homosexuality is an age-old attitude and has existed avec since there has been life on this planet. As far as family is concerned, gayness and family are far from opposed : for centuries, unmarried persons have had their share in society & economic. Gays do not threaten either family or society. As for gayness being a danger for the future, with overcrowding being what it is, it may just be the reverse. Gays today are forced to marry through family pressure (therefore risking making a woman unhappy): hypocrisy does not help creating a favorable family context. As for comparing homosexuals to dogs, well, this does not call for any comment, it says it all, but just let's get it clear : one can be gay AND vegetarian! You can be 100% gay and do and be almost anything a 100% heterosexual would do and be. AND people should know their fauna better : many studies have shown that there is a lot of homosexuality going on in the animal realm. So please everyone, brush up your history and your nature studies, and then only, humbly comment on the sex life of your fellow Indian.
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Vijay says: May 17, 2009 at 03:09 AM IST
Human beings genetically and by nature are created as a union between a man and women. That is how god has created and any other sorts of relationships are unnatural.Gays and Lesbians need "Psychological" treatment and counseling to become normal persons. Do not bring Western and perverted philosophy............If U claim it is natural form of behaviour for some people can gays and lesbians produce children naturally?
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Pradeep says: May 17, 2009 at 08:41 AM IST
What a stupid argument by Indian heterosexual men, to say: "If we "allow" freedom for gay people, then we must allow animal sex."
First of all, you are nobody to "allow" or "not allow".
Then, what is the connection between people and animals? How many people are demanding freedom for sex with animals? Anyone in your family? What makes you think someone else is going to demand that?
You can use the same stupid argument for banning meat eating. You can say:
"If we allow people to eat meat, soon we must allow people to eat other people. Therefore meat eating must be banned."
Idiot Indian heterosexual rapists. You are the ones making life miserable for decent women all over India, constantly harassing, chasing, raping, molesting women all the time. You have disgraced India in the eyes of the world by not sparing even tourists. You have no right to talk about "gay morality" when you don't even know the meaning of morality. If you want to argue, come up with something sensible, not something so stupid.
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Alex says: May 17, 2009 at 09:03 AM IST
This was the weapon Jews used to undermine and enslave USA. Indians Beware!
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mak says: May 17, 2009 at 09:10 AM IST
Y chromosomes are depleting... surely just one of the many ways how the world would end!
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Kabir says: May 17, 2009 at 09:26 AM IST
Full of Bull. Fight for the downtrodden, the poor people, water, electricity in Indian villages. Don't do this for publicity gimmick.And don't go against natures law. Its a sick behavior and needs a treatment.
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suresh says: May 17, 2009 at 09:43 AM IST
Who is this Celina,India has lot better problems to solve than this stupid things, She needs to find a better job.Gays have already got equal rights in the world, what are they fighting for!!, why they don't fight with god to conceive as Gays!!
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suresh says: May 17, 2009 at 10:09 AM IST
I object vijay says. Being hetrosexual I strongly object you coz the same God who made the union of a man and women only created gays through this union. So who you will be blamed? The God? Gays don't need "psychological" treatment and counselling but the one who are ignorant about the fact about homosexuality. Please treat them as normal but alternative sexuality for which they should not be blamed.
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Vic Krishnan says: May 17, 2009 at 11:08 AM IST
Gays break the law of nature...that can only lead to disaster...
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Reddy.A says: May 17, 2009 at 11:50 AM IST
"I would like to most importantly point out that the (Section 377) legislation was introduced by British colonial authorities and does not reflect on Hindu cultural values". Does it mean that gays were part of Hindu Culture?
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sanjay says: May 17, 2009 at 12:29 PM IST
Are u people secular hetrosexuals? if u are secular you respect and accept all religions and give them equal rights. If you are secular hetrosexual u should accept and provide equal rights to other sexual minorities in this case gays and lesbians. Being secular and not giving equal rights to gays and lesbians is a contradiction and hypocritical.
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aatreya says: May 17, 2009 at 01:48 PM IST
gay relation is human to human relationship, you anti gay commentors dont bring poor innocent animals in this issue, for yourkind information, there are gay animals in this world but never opt for same gender humans for theirpleasure
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aatreya says: May 17, 2009 at 01:52 PM IST
HOMOSEXUALITY EXISTED IN THE HISTORY,NOW IN PRESENT, AND IT WILL EXIST IN FUTURE TOOO, ALL BECAUSE OF HETEROSEXUALS ARE GIVING BIRTH TO THESE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE, DEAR CELINA, ASK THESE HETEROSEXUALS "CAN THEY STOP GIVING BIRTH TO THESE UNFORTUNATES:.........
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SG says: May 17, 2009 at 02:35 PM IST
It is quite pathetic to how ignorant some people still are, trying to explain why homosexuality is 'not right' using god and genetics, with knowledge of neither theology or advanced (or even basic) genetics/anthropology.
As a sociologist (and straight man), it is evident that as a mass of humanity we need our gay brothers and sisters to keep this unit stable. They are nurturing (look at the number of gay men and women looking after the young and the elderly in ones family or the number of those in the medical and health professions). They also are more altruistic as they do not have to be selfish to protect 'their progeny', so they look after others. Yet they have been treated with so poorly in recent centuries. I do not believe in God, but understand science, but however you look at it, it is not difficult. We have to accept and respect our fellow men/women. No one choses their sexuality. We simple are.
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Madan Sharma says: May 17, 2009 at 02:35 PM IST
can we make your petition for both gays, as well as lesbians?
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Sumanta says: May 17, 2009 at 02:36 PM IST
It seems most people don't understand that a person's sexuality is chemically written into their genes. No amount of religious lecturing will change that. Homosexuality is simply a different kind of sexuality, it is a different normality.
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John says: May 17, 2009 at 03:15 PM IST
Gay culture is against nature and its law. If you go against nature, the result will be catastrophic. Beware that........
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Diane says: May 17, 2009 at 03:37 PM IST
Celina, ur not the only one with gay friends. In our church, we worship together with our gay brothers and sisters and they are accepted with all their differences. However, even they realise that marriage between gays goes against nature and so does same-sex adoption. How can two men raise a little girl? The basic structure of family is under attack. Gays are different and my heart is full of compassion for their struggles. I'm happy to see their accomplishments & acceptance in the mainstream but as for giving them marriage & adoption rights, that's a no-no.
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Jit says: May 17, 2009 at 03:50 PM IST
Today section 377 of the Indian Constitution need to be ammended and hope the new government goes on with it. Last year the health ministry went a step ahead in doing so but it rolled back maybe forseeing the election. This section 377 is something imported from British law while some of the British colonies including South Africa( which has adequate Indian and Hindu population also) has scrapped such draconian beliefs and legalised same sex marriage.A recognition for LGBT group is what is the hour of requirement in India. It is stupid to think that legalisation of same sex marriage will cause any hindrance to society/morality. Those who intend in same sex marriage will go ahead with their eternal desire and live happily. No question of obsenity arises as said by other writers. Straight marriage is legalised does it mean that raping a girl is legal so the same law of decency/obsenity will be followed and if legalised forceful sex can be reported for justice.As Sean Penn said on receipt of oscar award that it is time we need to change and give rights to LGBT group to avoid getting blamed or cursed by next generation and work to extend equal rightsThe Indian constitution gives right to live so need to ammend section 377Those speaking on lines of Indian culture or Hindu tradition must note Nepal a Hindu state and her SC has approved gay marriages
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lol says: May 17, 2009 at 04:49 PM IST
lol, perverts!!!
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pppp says: May 17, 2009 at 05:23 PM IST
i m with uuuuuu
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Sam says: May 17, 2009 at 05:30 PM IST
It is very common for those who most vociferously speak against homosexuality to be the ones who are trying to suppress their own gay instincts. They are the ones who fear their own sexuality and are deeply insecure and scared of being 'found out' if they supported gay issues. They are quite quite pitiful. Those who try and be honest about their sexuality (straight and gay) have my vote. Got for it, there are lots of straight people behind you.
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Vicky says: May 17, 2009 at 06:07 PM IST
I simply agree. Don't preach with your religious or cultural age-old so called morals. Science has established and proved this fact that being gay is just a sexual orientation. It's not a 'disease' that must be 'cured'
To all the hetrosexual homophobes, the limitations or disgust you cause to gays, just imagine someone rediculing you for YOUR sexual orientation ? Will you be able to start loving someone of the same sex ? just because people don't approve what you were born with ?
That'd just b shame.. Just Live and Let Live!!
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petrodon says: May 17, 2009 at 07:36 PM IST
Celina is cheap......and she is doing his for publicity.If she is not gay and marry, I pray that she gets gay husband.Celina always show her 'THIRD GRADE' quality in movie, media etc.STOP THIS GAY NONSENSE......they are mentally challenged people and supporters are also.
Petrodon from Dubai
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Devi says: May 17, 2009 at 09:22 PM IST
I agree with you Petrodon. Public figures like Celina should be careful when they voice their opninons on issues such as the current matter. She is so much out of touch with the Indian tradition and the rich cultural heritage. It is sad to see that she is among those who would be contributing to the denigration of the Indian heritage. Of course, she doesn't know what our culture is about, its clear. If only you could keep your opinions to yourself, you would do our young generation some good.
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Nitasha says: May 17, 2009 at 09:57 PM IST
Am with you Celina on this one!We have so many heterosexual 'Indian' males getting away with atrocious behaviour...rape,dowry etc etc!And these are supposed to be the NORMAL section of society???!!!!!The gay community is just like the rest of us,with the same joys & trials of living in this world.One does not have to be gay to understand them,or make excuses for their sexual orientation.Just accept their difference & treat them like a human being.
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JM says: May 17, 2009 at 10:41 PM IST
Celina, as you speak, allow other Indians and other citizens of the world also to speak. We have nothing against these people. But we cannot accept their life-style. Homosexuality and lesbianism are unnatural life-styles. They are not born homos and lesbos, but it is a chosen life style. It is not a biological thing. We do not want our children and the coming generation to be taught to accept this horrid life style as something normal.
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Homos should be shot says: May 17, 2009 at 11:28 PM IST
ENJOY YOUR AIDS
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Bhārat says: May 17, 2009 at 11:38 PM IST
Here's what I guess Ms. Jaitley's next attention-craving 'campaign' will be about: Rights of Pedophiles and Zoophiles in India.
Find a better cause, Ms. Jaitley.
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Mike says: May 18, 2009 at 01:44 AM IST
Maybe being gay is a sexual orientation, but with proper education and awareness, it can be reversed. Encouraging gays is unhealthy for society. And you, Vicky, religion and culture is a part of morality. Your very stupid being wouldn't have been here if due to religion, culture and the laws of natural attraction didn't bring your parents together. Sure, it's live and let live, but never say that they should be accepted in mainstream society. Never say that let's accept children to see gay couples walking around or being a part of a normal movie theme. Never say that such abnormalcy be viewed as normal. They are a minority and let not the majority suffer because of their orientaton. They surely have a place on this earth, but please don't say, amongst a straight society... straight means where the laws of attraction are between opposite sexes. God has made man and woman to get attracted to each other and to carry on the reproductive cycle. It is a life cycle. Nowadays sex has been practised as a form of pleasure. Before, mainly sex was practised to continue the life cycle..... am not saying the pleasure element is completely non existent, but surely not like in nowadays proportions. When it became an element of pure pleasure, questions have been raised around regardng accepting gays. When Kings and kingdoms were fightin for survival in the days gone yonder, I would like to know if anyone got the balls to stand up and ask for gay rights, as those were the times where more offsprings were needed to carry on the generation or the human cycle because deaths were higher. I would like to know how much the gays contribute to it for them to be accepted as part of a natural reproductive cycle. And Celina, you ain't worth your place in acting or in whatever you've done. Don't go in with this kind of cheap publicity to gain some media attention. If you say you are a woman with a lot of balls, we would like to see you doing somethin for yourself, for ex : really working hard and becoming a good actress, or the best in any other field. Then instead of you saying it, we'll say that you got balls.
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Vinod says: May 18, 2009 at 03:09 AM IST
Are you crazy? In a country where millions of people die of hunger, or have no access to clean drinking water, where millions of children sleep on the footpath are sexually abused or orphaned with no one to take care; you have the audacity to call for equal rights of some perverts? We have millions of Dalits who have no equal rights to live as human beings in a so-called free country. Why don't you campaign for them? Are they not human beings?
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huck says: May 18, 2009 at 04:58 AM IST
India has bigger problems than providing rights for Gays. I strongly disagree with celina on this. Celina, I'm your biggest fan ever, but, I will not support gay rights. If someone is gay, its his personal choice. I'm not here to take this fundamental right from them. I believe, these things shouldn't be given a screen space.Suppose if I have sex with my girlfriend I will not do it in front of the camera. Similarly, if someone is gay y do they have to come and expose themselves. if you are gay be a gay in your room. That is a decent human behavior. If someone is coming out in front of the camera saying that he is gay then people will laugh at him and they should because he is doing that for publicity. God made women and men so that they could attract each other and give rise to a new child. If you start defying these natural logics, then it'll lead to some dreadful calamity or a disease. Trust me.
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KEITH CALIFORNIA U.S.A. says: May 18, 2009 at 05:54 AM IST
ARE YOU MISS JATILEY OR MR JETILEY OR????????????WE ARE INDIANS WE HAVE OUR RELEGIONS IN INDIA AND THAT IS OUR BIRTH RIGHT FROM OUR FOUR FATHERS, WHAT YOU ARE OR HOW YOU ARE WE DONT CARE. MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO YOU FIND A NICE BOY IN THE BOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY AND GET MARRIED, STOP ALL THIS BULLSHIT.SUPPORTING GAY RIGHT JUST TO PLAY AROUND THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD,KEEP AWAY FROM ALL THIS.
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Syed says: May 18, 2009 at 06:02 AM IST
Celina is mentally disturbed and there is some problem with her personality. Is she a gay before converted her sex now??????
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Robert says: May 18, 2009 at 06:41 AM IST
If you are famous in silver screen, go & serve the poor .Gay should be stoned to death & it is sin to permit on the earth.
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peter says: May 18, 2009 at 09:32 AM IST
i do not think this should be topic of discussionthat the simple reason they are against natureand spoiling the roots of human originhow society cant accept murders the same treatment should be given to them
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Wyatt Earp says: May 18, 2009 at 11:02 AM IST
Everybody should have equal opportunity, to earn a luxury lifestyle. So what's wrong if good for nothing Ms Jaitly tries this to remain in the news. She's not getting any roles, haven't seen anyone praising any of of her limited roles, she's too old for modeling, not sure if singing or dancing is her forte, so most likely career in glamor industry is questionable. Actors usually jump into some social cause (in this case it's not worth it since Indian has much more pressing issues) or politics. So this is the right move for her. Please support her. As for GLBH, I have nothing against her. The only way to get consensusof such issues is via vote so that VOCAL MINORITY doesn't hijack the SILENT MINORITY...
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Salim says: May 18, 2009 at 11:23 AM IST
Gays/lesbions/homosexuals etc., are abnormals and shold be treated and not to be encoraged. What do you do when you are mentally or physically ill, you get it treated. The same way these category people are supposed to be treated and not to encoraged.
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Abey says: May 18, 2009 at 11:28 AM IST
I strongly disagree with all what Miss Celina has to say. Gays are not normal people. It is a mental problem or to put it in better word- they have some kind sexual orientation mental disorder, and they have to undergo treatment. It is true that they should not be looked down upon. They are people with some problem, and people like Celina should try to help them by trying to get rid of their problem. First of all they should be taken to a good psychologist, and should be treated. Instead please dont take stance that this is very normal, and trying to fight for their so-called rights is utmost stupidity. Help them understand that this is a serious problem and something against the very NATURE. The earlier they realize it, the earlier that can get rid of this problem.
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gkk says: May 18, 2009 at 11:53 AM IST
To all the people who think gays are abomination of society, I ask you to prove the following:
1. how gay people make other people gay2. homosexuality and pedophilia3. success stories of people how they "healed" the gay4. that heterosexuality is the only norm that exists in nature
Can anyone prove whatever they are saying? ANYONE?
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Nats says: May 18, 2009 at 12:01 PM IST
Celina,I agree with the fact that gays are human beings first and yes,they desrve some degree of respect and recogniton in the society.First you must realise that breaking through the mindset of indian middle class families is definitely a big challenge.I am saying this becuse it is their acceptance that is majorly required in our country.We are born and grow up living to think that it is man and woman who eventually get together in life and form families and hence generations progress.However if the question is 2 men dating,living together or getting married its surely something that will raise eyebrows.Discrimination against them is wrong because personally they have done nothing to offend anyone but yes accepeting their way of life and sexual preferences will remain to be a distant dream for time to come.I appreciate your effort to make aware this fact to people but my advice is don't expect too much.India is still evolving and slowly people are coming around to accept western trends and altered ways of life but the question is how much time will it take for them to change their mindset about gays ?thats is to wait and watch.
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sandeep says: May 18, 2009 at 12:51 PM IST
its very ridiculous celina, you celebrities should pass positive message to the younger generation. Why do you people do such kind of harm only to get in media, there are lots of other ways to attract media which also wont affect society. If you are really serious about this issue and really want to contribute for gay community than help them to get settled in US or UK as its already legal there.
And i dont know why this times of india have started acting weird these days. To be frank my whole area nearby have stopped buying TOI newspaper, TOI you guys better be aware of this, negetive marketing wont help in long run.
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amit says: May 18, 2009 at 02:09 PM IST
this just a publicity stunt of celina's nothing more
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lovekillsheart says: May 18, 2009 at 02:23 PM IST
i am seeing a lot of straight perverts here who think that gay is a western culture and animals arent gay. get ur basic knowledge right mr.
and its not the right to F*** which we are asking and its not the right to indecent things to do in public which we are asking, we are asking equal civil rights, and we are sure gonna have it sooner than u can think. i wonder wats with so many single prime ministers and to-be prime ministers we have, y isnt anyone asking them to prove their sexuality ??
the ppl who are against us are simply lost in their hopeless world where there is no openness and blacks should be slaves and women should be only housewives and think that religion is wat has made us and not the vice-versa.
i pity u guys. none of the homophobic dumbs i have encountered whom i have not insulted and embarrased in public without him/her knowing y am i so agressive against him.... and the best part is that those perverts think that only ppl who behave like queens are gays !! lol... they dunno i exist too... haha...
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gamit says: May 18, 2009 at 03:28 PM IST
Only people who think that sex is for cohabitation only and for producing children can go ahead and call homosexuality as unnatural . If two men or two women love each other and express it through their bodies , what is unnatural in that ? Sexual activity is not just for making babies - it can be for enjoying the pleasures of your body - treating sex as an activity only for producing babies is as close to being an animal as it can get . It is unfortunate that India - the country of the Kamsutra - refuses to recognize alternative sexuality as a natural occurence . Kudos to Celina jaitely , who inspite of being a woman in this country has the guts to stand up for gay rights and exhort the people in this direction . Wish some of our mainstream male celebs also would stand up to support alternate sexuality and the scrapping of the archaic law - Section 377 .
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Saji Bangalore says: May 18, 2009 at 03:44 PM IST
Gay people are the ones who are not normal and need to be treated.... Please don't turn this great country into another America...
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Alexander says: May 18, 2009 at 03:56 PM IST
Hi There...
Hi Celina...Hows your German Now...Hats off to you for taking a strong position on gay rights...You believe in something and you are standing up for it...Your Right...Not many do that coz they want to be politically correct...
Taboos like Sati, widow marriage - we have overcome gradually, change has never come quickly...
The argument that being gay is against Nature makes sense to me...but if a person is naturally inclined to be gay then whats the solution...Do we condemn that...Am against people intentionally being gay...
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Rajiv says: May 18, 2009 at 04:45 PM IST
Prejudice against homosexuality is a gift of Victorian England and most particularly protestant evangelical prejudices of the time. In none of the ancient Indian texts - religious as well as secular are there any strictures against homosexuality. In fact up until the advent and consolidation of British rule most Indians did not think of it as perversion. It is only since British era laws condemned it as 'going against nature' that we have internalized these prejudices. Indian civilization and tradition treats all forms of love as gratifying, spiritual, and a means to reach God. If we live by our own traditions it does not behoove of us to treat one humans' love for another as sin. It is time we embraced the great inclusive ethos of our forefathers and jettisoned cruel, pointless, and alien laws that continues to cause so much suffering to our fellow human beings - gay brothers and sisters.
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M. Saleem says: May 18, 2009 at 04:57 PM IST
Its a case of Perverted people. The gays and Les are eeekks. We do not need to go with a magnifying glass to find out his/her identity. The odour that these people's body release itself is sufficient to know the oddity. They should be hunted down and foisted on a crane boom for the people to be aware of this pest.
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Rick says: May 18, 2009 at 04:59 PM IST
Gay sex is un-natural sex, its against the rules of the nature. God has not made us to be or behave like this. The celebs have an impact on the young generation so you guys should speak about positive things rather than standing up for something thats un-natural.
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Vicky says: May 18, 2009 at 05:40 PM IST
TO MIKE, You say that with education and awareness, being gay can be 'REVERSED'. I can't help myself laugh on your childish statement. People like you claim and fear that it is bad for our coming generation if they see gay people going hand in hand, our str8 childeren will become gay ?
Well, I say you, and to the world that I grew up amongst my straight parents, straight friends, straight brothers and sisters. You can be assured that by looking at them, growing up with them couldn't turn me Straight!! So how will str8 born childeren 'become' gay by looking at gay people is something probably only your disordered mind can comprehend... your theory just doesn't make any sense at first place...
You say don't let majority (straights) 'suffer' is another funny statement that you made. For one damn thing, I don't understand simply how a private thing happening between two consulting adults in private makes you suffer, especially when you've got nothing to do with any two of them. Think before you speak and whenever you do, speak logic, dude!!
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Vicky says: May 18, 2009 at 05:51 PM IST
And when you yourself agree that Sex happening between hetrosexuals does have a motive of seeking 'PLEASURE' out of it, (besides producing childeren).
The two gay people may not be interested in bearing childeren or may decide to adopt a child rather than giving birth ?
Please give me a reasonable and logical explanation as to how on earth be a hetrosexual's right to seek pleasure more important than a homosexual's right to seek pleasure ??
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Shyam V says: May 18, 2009 at 07:14 PM IST
Celina, Let me add few things, I have been attacked by gays two time till now, Once I was 8 and second 21, I did not know what is this both the time, same as u relatives and friends warn me of the same. I dont have any objection till gay stays in there gay Community, It is like tiger in the Jungle, and tiger coming out of the Jungle, we all want to protect tiger but not at the cost of human lives. When we speak of gay rights, it has to be withing gays, why they should wonder around to attack normal humans, As we are part of the society, we have to consider feeling of all human being and not only gays or lasbs. Rules have to be carefully reviewed for there rights so they don's harm normal human beings. Sexual relationship between man and woman is the best for human kind and generations.
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Vish says: May 18, 2009 at 09:03 PM IST
One shouldn't allow gay rights..after this people think more liberal..and fight to have relationships with their brothers, sisters..even mother also stating we are humans first
I can understand the feeling of GAY, I believe GAYS are born defective or raised defective.
INDIA is not their country to live..
If they want to be called them as INDIANS abide to the culture of INDIA or die with another GAY or even more, if they want to live liberally they can live separately in forests, nobody will worry about them..as they will die after some years and there wouldn't be any 2nd generation by them
INDIA has lot other problems to address than concentrating on GAY Rights. Celina is out of her mind and may be she don't have any other project to work on, she should shut her all holes and stay home.
Its always easy to Destroy culture than to follow
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vinay says: May 18, 2009 at 09:25 PM IST
It is not an unnatural tendency and repression is not needed for right of an individual level.Sympathies may not be required but derision is also avoidable.However it should be discarded on social level.
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Abilash says: May 19, 2009 at 01:09 AM IST
We are living in contemporary world where nothing is wrong unless it harms other people.In what way does some ones sexuality threatens others.And you cannot hate a person for his sexual orientation.Come on if we cannot be sympathetic towards their feelings so let it be,but atleast we can respect their feelings.And above all Celina is asking to repel Section 377 which really goes against the spirit of fundamental rights of an individual.This section doesn't only target gays but also any straight person who perform carnal intercourse.So remember even straight people are equally vulnerable.Human beings deserve respect for their humanity and compassion and not for his/her sexuality.Dont forget that its the same god who created them.They are not sons of lesser god.Insted of blindfolding ourselves and living in a illusion that there are no gays in India.Its better accept the truth and be sympathetic to them.As some of the bloggers had raised the AIDS issue.Its only when we accept these people they can come out in open and we have more chances of giving them proper medication and avoid spreading of AIDS.Our previous health minister fought for this cause only.Some of the bloggers have compared them to animals,even if that is the case,when animals have right to live in this world then why not these people.
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shafeek says: May 19, 2009 at 01:15 AM IST
i agree with celina, she prove she is a good social worker, i hope we con see her in good role of indian politics, best wishesh celina
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annu says: May 19, 2009 at 03:21 AM IST
Who wanna be gay if Celina is supporting it. All gays will be straight once they see Celina :)
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Rons says: May 19, 2009 at 04:26 AM IST
This girl is trying to gain publicity.Girl, you are not made to play with with bananas.Get some sense.. you are a daughter if a military personnel and vomiting out all rubbish. Just because they don't accept you as an actress doesn't mean you start following Shilpa Shetty's way to glory via controversy.
Have some shame.
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EqualityForAll says: May 19, 2009 at 06:09 AM IST
A lot of people expressed a similar sentiment when MLK stood for rights of African Americans or when Mahatma Gandhi stood side by side with oppressed class. Change is difficult but truth needs to be told. Earth is not the center of Universe and World was not started by Adam and Eve. Move on, its 21st century. Care about someone else than you hide.
Good job Cecilia, I guess you have more guts than most of the posters here combined....
BTW, Being Gay is not a choice, Its Biology and that why it is called science of Exceptions.
And finally AID epidemic will be easier to tackle if we except the reality and educate people about it. Not by avoiding elephant in the room. And for people asking Cecilia to find another cause, Tell us how have you helped a single person in your life....
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James says: May 19, 2009 at 08:47 AM IST
Celina...who..
Cheap publicity + Cheap actress + Cheap topic ...
True to yourself... can't act...can't dance.. can't think straight...
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Jatin Kohli says: May 19, 2009 at 11:58 AM IST
Yaar simple thing is, Whts against or negative that alwaz been into picture to get fame! Its rubbish to listn or read such things! Stupid celebs! just to acting, Why getting into social things!
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Shree says: May 19, 2009 at 12:05 PM IST
There are so many basic rights that many Indian citizen do not have. (food, water, clothing, shelter for the masses).
Sexual preference would be considered a secondary right. But once we get to it, I do agree that they should have equal rights.
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Vivek Gupta says: May 19, 2009 at 12:32 PM IST
In Lawrence Vs texas the US supreme court under due clause process of Amendemnet 14 allowed the Gay right. According to the court the private right of the inidividual is above the state right in this case. But no where US Supreme court justified the gay marriages and their act moral.
I am against the attrocities done by the state towards Gay people but at the same time I am no way being sympatheitic towards them for their chocies and no one can make my private preference and prejudices against them.
IPC 377 is societies answer to disencourage this behavior and they are in their full right to do so.
Till date no US court has said that its moral to be Gay what all of them has said is that they should not be persecuted by the state for doing so.
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Babban says: May 19, 2009 at 01:07 PM IST
I hope Celina does not demand reservation for gay people in the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force. At age 27, she is too young to talk about social policies. Please Celina, leave it to the country strategists who spent 30-40 yrs of their life studying societies around the world. Your time is to focus on acting girl.
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A Khan says: May 19, 2009 at 01:14 PM IST
Hi Celina,
Campaigning for gays is absolutely the right thing to do.But the Indian society needs a HARDCORE EVIDENCE that homosexuality is NOT a choice, it is NOT a psychological disorder. Please show them the scientific evidence. Most Indians will think the evidence is boloney but you and I know that it is absolutely true. It would be a great idea to donate some money for more research!!!
By the way, I have read in a book that male homosexuals are formed when they are foetuses in their mother's womb. A usual male would receive 2 rounds of male hormones that flushes the foetus. Due to some discrepancy the potential male homosexual foetus miss out on the second dose of male hormones which sort of deprives them of the heterosexual libido. I actually don't know to what extent this is true. The sex institutes requires more open volunteers and money to substantiate these hypotheses!!
A Khan.
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Jay says: May 19, 2009 at 01:18 PM IST
So, most people here think gays are perverts and mentally ill. It is not true, and read something up PLEASE get educated and open your mind. There is substantial literature about gays and lesbians in ancient Indian books even mahabharat and ramayan. It is not a western import. Secondly, you may also like to consider the only Hindu country in the world, Nepal has allowed gay marraiges! So there! Plus, India is secular and religion should "technically" not be involved in such discussions.
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Arun says: May 19, 2009 at 01:46 PM IST
Celina, Giving rights is notcorrect becoz it doesnot stop there it becomes reservations later. We hv enough problems with this. Incase of eunchs not all are born some are forced and this as come in the TV aswell. This is the same problem with having GAYS around. In our Mumbai local trains they are a nuisence,take advantage of the rush. Mostly innocent school children are their victims. I hope you are aware of this. I know people who are victims. Just becoz a straight is doing crimes against females, doesn't mean that give Gays right is antidot. This is nothing to do with our culture, but yes to the nature, society and the future of this mother earth. Friends pls donot traget USA or anyother country. It is our duty to keep our house in order. God bless. I will reply to all email.
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abi says: May 19, 2009 at 02:10 PM IST
u r cheap actress cheap thinking
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Anonymous says: May 19, 2009 at 02:10 PM IST
Recently, In Maxico, a gay rally had been attacked. Croasia killed a mob of gays in past and saved their country..! When next generation will see this gays stuff on TV, they gonna acquire this sex orientation. Just Imagine guys, Indians fighting on borders with Lipstics and Cosmetic stuff instead of guns. Only solution is Protest Celina and her slogan. and if she has some problem s with indian democracy, who doesnt allow gay rights, who wants her in Inda...! You can leave my country anytime. or you want me to kick you out
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Yusuf Sidat says: May 19, 2009 at 02:16 PM IST
I think this lady has to see the doctor, what she is asking is out of qutation. if she cant find any man then stay with this gay people. I live in UK and this English people who some Indian think they very clever but in there life they having big problem. Please do not invite there idiea in our beautiful culture. this people are just finish who dose not have family value. please Celina come in uk I will take you to those people who you likes. Rembere I am not that so you may bve not comfortable.
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Taher says: May 19, 2009 at 04:11 PM IST
Celina, Gays are perverted people who become what they are because of some psychological influences they have had in their younger days . Believe me no one is born gay, they are made. They should be treated by a Psychiatrist and reverted back from their unnatural ways. Instead of helping them you are making it more of a problem to them by making the society accept them as it is. No matter what acceptance you get for this you will surely have the majority who are un-perverted and will treat this sector of the society as sick. So my advice to you is not to be carried away by your sentiments about your hairdresser and your friend and stop advocating wrong things.This will certainly spoil the future youth of India.
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Abhimanyu Gupta says: May 19, 2009 at 04:38 PM IST
Celina, I admire you for the courage you display in taking up the cause of protecting the right's of the gay community in India. Besides the narrow-mindedness & hyprocrisy that the people here display, it is interesting to note that the majority of people who are against the concept of homosexuality can't string together a coherent & grammatically correct sentence. I wish you all the best in your efforts. God bless.
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Aadhi says: May 19, 2009 at 04:45 PM IST
I dont know why we Indians too speaking about something apart from the SCIENCE and CULTURE? After all we have good background of culture and had well organized family, society where we started a great civilization, empire and being role model for all other countries in love packed, good bond family. I accept even in our country we have more Gay people, but let them get dimnished by educating them instead making petitions like this. The actress can make a movement for educate people having wrong sex. I feel ashamed typing the word GAY. Translate the word GAY, in your mother tongue and see how worst it is!!!
Proud to be Indian. Before being proud, know the value of Indian culture atleast in your Western culture's prespective.
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parinay bhatt says: May 19, 2009 at 05:08 PM IST
While i strongly support the need for laws to be changed for gays and lesbians, as in no discrimination , somehow, the very fact that two people of the same gender can find each other attractive and have sex is repulsive
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mkmgani says: May 19, 2009 at 07:05 PM IST
Many years ago, Gay marriages were not at all acceptable in so-called developed western societies and now the reality is that even some of the churches are accepting gay marriages. The very reason behind this development is the so-called human rights. Just for the human rights, I agree to these gay marriages. But I have a question. Now, one of the main concerns in western society is "INCEST". It is possible that, after many years down the line they may even accept INCEST couples. If a brother and his sister are willing to marry without harming anyone in the society, then I believe they can also claim such so-called human rights. What is the opinion of people supporting gay marriages about INCEST couple? I believe, there are lot more things to be considered, apart from human rights in these cases. In short, we should not allow the humans to go against nature.
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dev says: May 19, 2009 at 09:20 PM IST
yeah....this is time for Celina to try her hand in something else to get public attention. No one watches her movies, even throwing out clothes is also not helping (there r lot more curvy bods in bollywood). And she is not talented to do anything else. So to keep her name alive in public, she at last took up this job... The cause of gay rights is a question to the Indian society, but I can clearly see Celina's interest here.....ha ha....
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Mukesh says: May 19, 2009 at 09:29 PM IST
I am amazed to read such an honest and compassionate article from you of all people. My Views:People are ignorant. Not that they are bad but just because they have been taught certain things and they are comfortable with them, they continue to fight and protect those so called "ideals". There is just too much hate. Some hate gays, some hate Muslims,some hate Hindus, some hate Brahmins and others insult chamars. Everyone has this need to think of oneself as better than the others; that what they do is the right thing to do and the right way to do it. Minority always gets mauled because of this misplaced drive to achieve these "ideals". Everybody wants to be able to tell everyone else how to live their life and what to do. That is so funny and so sad in so many ways. Point being: Let People be. If they ain't messing with you personally or hurting someone else deliberately, Let them do whatever. Learn the Culture of tolerance not only some Indian culture or any pseudo-culture that you have been taught or practice.
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Guna says: May 19, 2009 at 11:40 PM IST
Cheap gimmik and hype to get publicity. If we allow this, then tomorrow unnatural perverts like Celina will demand rights for child sex or animal sex saying that it is their personal issue.
we must stamp this out at once.
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rathi says: May 20, 2009 at 12:42 AM IST
Nice way for Celina to be in news. What else this poor so called celebrity can do to stay in news with out movies. If TOI keeps this junk on the front page and act like www.sfgate.com (the portal for San Francisco Chronicle), it will also loose readership like the one I mentioned. So, it is up to TOI to decide to stay connected to the readers or go with the freaks and diminish.
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rathi says: May 20, 2009 at 12:57 AM IST
EqualityForAll,It is easy to use MLK and Gandhi to support any thing that you do. Even Mugabe in Zimbabwe used his name to evict whites from forms. Remember one thing, both those stalwarts stood for oppressed and neglected and not perverted. The way they gathered that much influence and public support demonstrates this. At any point of history, the change can come only when majority accepts it. Remember even Abraham Lincoln won the elections after the Civil war means has majority support for what he has done. Just few crooks and celebs can not thrust on the society and make it fashion and passion.
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F. Iqbal says: May 20, 2009 at 01:47 AM IST
It's quite surprising and very shameful to hear Celina even bringing this up!
Looks like this is the cheapest way to gain publicity nowadays! Grab a controversial topic and then just make up stories to relate yourself to it and there you have it... a sure shot formula for success... Celina, please grow up. If you happen to be gay, please confess to it. We will understand. But don't even think of gays marrying in India being mentioned out here! This is India. We have our own blessed culture. AND THERE'S NO HOMOSEXUALITY in our CULTURE.Take your Bull S**t and stop furthering this stupid cause. I have been attacked by Gay people a couple of times and I JUST HATE THEM. Because of their sick and ghastly and pervert acts...I hope people take this matter seriously and stop Celina from this brainless deed.
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Prof Ramesh C Manghirmalani-Prague says: May 20, 2009 at 02:50 AM IST
Celina:
Do you have a plan to take this campaign further or take next steps going forward.WHY do politicians feel compelled to treat us as imbeciles? Perhaps it takes a certain type of ego to fight your way up through the wannabe political hacks and make it into the Cabinet. And from there, you look down on the suckers and you can't help feeling superior.Moving forward with an advocacy strategy is about more than taking next steps - it's about finding the forward motion in everything that happens.
When acting on their strategies, successful advocates adopt a kind of “rolling incrementalism” - an awareness of those aspects of their campaigns, whether results or processes, that signal moving forward towards their overall vision.
Your environmental scan focuses on your capacities and on all the factors in your context that affect those capacities - timing, allies, knowledge, experience. Through rolling incrementalism, advocates go on to:
*Select strategic goals: Identify key capacities and set advocacy objectives around them*Consolidate gains: Recognize and celebrate important gains that may take place - even during seeming setbacks - in arenas they might not otherwise have noticed*Fine-tune strategic choices for greatest effectiveness: Recognize when small gains in multiple arenas may together warrant the reassessment of their capacities - and the selection of new strategic targets
Rolling incrementalism requires a balance between short-term and long-term views, always relating the one to the other. One way to get started is to translate your long-term vision into short-term objectives.
We offer some tools for keeping a wider perspective when setting advocacy objectives:
Strategy Planning Objectives point out multiple dimensions for advocacy objectives, which can also mean multiple arenas in which to identify later progress
Anticipated Advocacy Outcomes also illustrate multiple levels on which a campaign can focus its possible gains.
We then have a tool for choosing objectives (See below), which offers a way to prioritize among the possible objectives and make the most strategic choices. We’ve all heard the buzz about email marketing and how cost-efficient and easyit is to do. This guide will help you get started with your own program quickly andeasily. Celina: I think it will give you good publicity to moved forward
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roinla says: May 20, 2009 at 04:29 AM IST
I support gay rights but please don't make it a hot political issue in India like the one in the US. India has far bigger problems like eliminating poverty, corruption, crime etc. I live in the US and here its become a Caricature of sorts between liberals and conservatives and don't want this issue to deviate from the main challenges India faces today.
Thanks Celina!!
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P.CSAINI says: May 20, 2009 at 05:30 AM IST
dear sir.i have seen this same ling connection by age of 12 where teacher was doing wrong with his scool boys in the name of night tution in a remote village.you do not know constitt=ution nor there is any chapter.the same bussiness was in college where good looking boys was harresed by goona type people.well the same type of sex people can live as a BRAHMCHARI NO PROBULUM. BUT to live as a husban or wife is not correct.all thease type of people are not perfect men and some are forced in this bussiness.i hope govtt will send them to specical home made for them to correct there mind.un natural things which are banned by govtt and god should not done for having a clean society.TIMES OF INDIA MUST BE CLOSED TILL THIS PAPER STOPED PUBLISHING THEASE TYPE OF NEWS.
P.C.SAINI.
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Ram says: May 20, 2009 at 05:53 AM IST
What about lesbians?Why are they being left out
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rambo says: May 20, 2009 at 08:16 AM IST
send all gays to jail...OK with lesbians...
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shail says: May 20, 2009 at 08:53 AM IST
No wonder this w. h . o . r . e who slept with the father son duo of feroz-fardeen has made this petition .... Ram banaaye khoob jodi, ek andha ek kodi ....
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donald miranda says: May 20, 2009 at 11:03 AM IST
gay there is no gay so why say this promotes the work of saten prince of darkness not light
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chstrig says: May 20, 2009 at 11:08 AM IST
Gay rights is a non-issue at the moment.
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Suhail says: May 20, 2009 at 11:36 AM IST
No Wonder the author looks very naïve; she thinks being a celebrity gives her right to say anything on everything.
Every society has 4% of Homosexual people whether gays/lesbians and that’s a proven fact, however, in last couple of decades this number has gone up due to many factors like, Trend, Metro and some of the times due to publicity. I personally don’t have any problems with gays in fact more gays give me more girls to date.
Coming back to the serious point about gay rights that means they should be allowed to marry and stay together as couples, they should be given special rights and blah blah. I been to countries where gays/lesbians have been given the right to marry each other and trust me the country looks bizarre when gays and lesbians walk together hand in hand and kissing in public. I really felt bad for the country, but yeah what can I say.
It also means opening a door to various diseases that can immerge due to homosexuality; again I don’t have to comment on it because it’s proven fact. Besides we are encouraging more people to follow the trend of gayism.
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Parinay bhatt says: May 20, 2009 at 11:39 AM IST
Lets not get personal out here. Making derogatory remarks about a person is highly uncalled for.She has her own opinion and she is entitled to it. Lets respect that.People who are honest about their sexuality, also need the courage to do things. First face the consequences of your own choices and behaviour and second, continue to fight to bring the required legislation . They should not expect others to fight their own battles. Like any crusade, they are on their own
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Dibyojyoti Dey says: May 20, 2009 at 12:53 PM IST
A celebrity can draw much attention ! well thats why we all have posted our comments.Whether the attention is for oneself or to the cause. Nevermind!Democracy entitles us to speak our mind & stand for our causes. Sinces ages we have divide us into regions, classes, gender, majority , minority & what not. Why again? Gay or Straight how does it matter? Some have written about our Indian culture .Has our culture not taught us to unite, to be tolerent & live with diversity.Akbar the great, Mirabai, Kabir, Sir Ramakrishna ...endless is the list who have taught us oneness.Our culture has seen the Khajurao,Konark being bulit.It has witness Kamsutra being written. So why cant we be tolerent enoughf to accept these men & women with different sexual taste, afterall we Indian take pride to stand for diversity.UNITY IN DIVERSITY. Spread love not hatred !
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Harsh says: May 20, 2009 at 12:55 PM IST
Good Job Celina. Carry on.Gays are not perverts....THESE PEOPLE WHO CANT UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUALS (gays) are perverts......come on guys...grow up. you will only understand when someone within your family will become a gay. and then only u will be educated and supportive.
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Ginse Rajan says: May 20, 2009 at 01:32 PM IST
Its against nature. God created us as Male and Female.If he had accepted GAYS ...then no female required. See other creatures/Animals ..do they mate with same sex?...its not acceptable...relligious wise and socity wise..GAYS need to be educated
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Ravi says: May 20, 2009 at 01:41 PM IST
You dont have a movie or ads now you are trying your hand in doing all this kind of stupid cause. When you guys (gays it is implied to all the glamor world people) send a message in public dont you think twice before doing it? You urself are spoilt people in the society who has no self respect for family and because of which you carry yourself by covering your face with all kind of makeups and leaving your body so that people as well as you can njoy. Shame on you guys for doing all these thing. India govt ofcourse not in there jursidiction and also i dont want them to waste there time for these kind of stuff should kick you out of this country and make you gays to settle in some jungles. If you gays cannot give a positie message dont even give a wrong misleading message. IDIOT
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G A R Santhosh says: May 20, 2009 at 02:12 PM IST
Hi, Celina, do u think this practice will definetly let the gays to attain there equal rights?
About Author
Hi, I am Celina Jaitly... a film star by profession and a gay rights activist by humanity. When I openly stood up for the human rights of sexual minorities, I got a whole lot of support from people all over the world; at the same time I have been accused of being a lesbian (which is all right) and, more importantly, scorned and abused for standing up for the sexual minorities rights. Before I begin I would like to explain my sexuality: I am a straight woman with a whole lotta balls!