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Sexual Minorities in Pondicherry

Sexual Minorities in Pondicherry have been profoundly shaped by a colonial history that is quite different from the rest of India, having been ruled under the French before ascending into the Union of India. The city historically had a stereotype of being one of the best places in India to be gay due to the history of French influence on the city, though now many of the richer cities are thought to have better infrastructure and societies.

The Auroville community has been active in fighting homophobia as part of its globalist and humanist approach. It's members have considerable impact on the tourism market of Pondicherry. And evidence suggests that the pupils of many French language schools in Pondicherry are taught about homosexuality in a positive manner.

History
Pondicherry was only established as a major city in the 17th century. The concept of Puducherry did not exist until colonialism and is a by-product of French India. It would historically have been an extension of the Tamil lands.

Europe mostly looked down on the idea of homosexuality and statements showing their disgust can be found, such as the 'disgust' of the Sri Lankan elite having homosexual sex, as described by the newly landed Portugese in the 16th century. They mostly viewed their homophobic culture as being superior to the locals and attempted to impose their order and often assimilate the locals into the western way of thinking. Pondicherry changed hands from the Portugese, to the Dutch and finally the French.The Portugese were eager to spread the knowledge of Christ and established schools in the district to educate converts to Christainty. and this was followed by printing material in the local language to further make Jesus known to the local population. The French notably created many of these schools in Tamil (rather than the colonial language) with the aim of 'assimilating' most of the locals.

These particular homophobic colonial laws implemented by the French originate from the Roman Empire. The Code of Justinian placed the values of Church thought foremost and discriminated against those who did not follow the law of the Church, and this developed into harsher crusader-like penalties for homosexual sex by the 11th century through Canon Law.

The French however were one of the first communities in Europe to decriminlaize homosexuality through the implementation of either the French Penal Code of 1791 or the Napoleonic Code of 1810. This code spread throughout the former colonial empire and its colonies in India, including Pondicherry, would have seen the act of homosexual sex decriminlaized.

Ascending into the Union of India therefore would have seen homosexual sex recriminalized in Pondicherry, however, as what happened in France after the decriminlaization of homosexual sex there, the decriminalization of homosexual sex would have done little to change the views of the populace who had been taught to believe that homosexual sex was wrong.

The city has been seen as being more progressive for homosexuals in recent times, and Pondicherry was one of the first handful of cities to host a gay pride event in India. On the 29th of June 2008, the city hosted its first gay pride parade along with Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Notably Mumbai came later to the scene.

Along with the surrounding Tamil Nadu, transgenders and third genders have been respectively getting their rights and further welfare support, and the latter half of the 2000s saw a series of proceedings through the Indian judicary that slowly provided national legal rights to the LGBT, with homosexual sex being decriminlaized in 2018.

Politics
It is currently not possible to legally recognize a marriage between two persons of the same gender, though this could be taken in the context that most marriages in India are not registered with the government. But the Supreme Court has also recognized live-in relationships as valid for marriage benefits since 2015 and this does not extend to homosexual relationships.

Kiran Bedi, the current luietenant gouvenor of Pondicherry, has an important role to play in the history of homosexual activism in India, albeit due to her opposition to allow inmates to be given condoms, which spurred one of the health charities to fight for the condoms to be allowed, and consequently Ms Gopal took up the case to fight for the removal of Section 377.

Sathyasri Sharmila became the first transgender to enroll as a lawyer, going through the bar associations in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Pondicherry was also the first place in India to allow transexuals to enroll on UIDAI.

Democratic Progressive Alliance
The DPA is a collation between the Tamil political party DMK and the federal political party INC. The latter had been the only political party at a federal level to support decriminalizing homosexual sex, albeit it had upto 2014 lobbied in support for criminalizing homosexual sex. DMK is also one of the leading political parties in India in terms of advancing the rights of non-binary genders.

People's Welfare Front
The PWF consists of CPI(M), CPI, VCK, MDMK and RSP. The CPI has voiced its support for decriminalizing gay sex after it was banned in the early 2010s.

Health
A 2010 survey of mental health issues in Pondicherry which included the LGBT community showed the prevelance of depression was up to 12 times higher among LGBT, and sucidal tendencies were almost 14 times higher among the LGBT community.

HIV/AIDS is actively fought by the government as a health concern and financial assistance is provided by the State Government including "provisions of “free transportation”, “Vocational  &  Entrepreneur  Development trainings”, “Double Ration” from Antyodaya Anna Yojana  (AAY)  scheme  and  “Double  Nutritional support” to the PLHIVs in the UT of Puducherry.

The Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth hosted a seminar on how to improve psychological health and well-being in the transgender community as part of a series on yoga. The university also has a transgender clinic.

Financial Assistance
Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry both provide welfare support for transsexuals and transgendered individuals. The Welfare Minister of Pondicherry also stated that he wished to provide vocational training to them as well.

Charitable Organizations
Spectra - an LGBT student group at Pondicherry University.

Sahodaran Community Oriented Health Development - formed in 1998 as the main charitable organization for sexual minorities.

Orinam (Puducherry) - a Puducherry branch of the Tamil Nadu organization.

India Volunteer Care - connects volunteers with the local community and has a LGBT program.

Sahodari Foundation - LGBT charitable organization.

Demographics
Pondicherry overall has a population of around 675,000. There are roughly about 2,300 transgenders in the wider Puducherry Union territory, Of the 941,398 voters in Puducherry, 79 are transgenders.

The Chief Minister of Puducherry, V. Narayanasamy, has stated that he wants to take a census of the transsexual population.

Festivals
Pondicherry Queer Pride was one of the first pride events in India. It was first held in 2008 on the same day that Delhi and Bengaluru also held their first pride parades.

Transgender Day Celebration was last held on April 15th 2017.

Koovagam Festival - though not situated in Pondicherry, it is around one and a half hours drive from Pondicherry, and is a famous festival for sexual minorities.

Cinema
The lesbian movie "I Am" was shown at Pondicherry University in an exhibition 2nd Asian Women's Film Festival on Sunday March 11th at 11am.

The Storytellers Bar screened the award winning movie "Ladies and Gentlewomen" on the 6th August 2018.

Prostitution
Pondicherry had become known as a destination for sex tourism by the 2000s, and this is evident by a large presence of street-bases sex workers in the city, including numerous transsexuals and third gendered people. The region around the New Bus Stand has become known for a large presence of LGBT sex workers along with regular sex workers - though many of them are believed to have been trafficked.

Venues
The Storytellers Bar - A bar just off the beach front that hosts several events catering to sexual minorities.

SCOHD - A community center for the LGBT community.

LGBT
Kalki Subramaniam - hosts a radio show at Pondicherry University

Sathyasri Sharmila - the first transgender lawyer in India

K. Sheethal Nayak - established SCOHD as a transsexual herself

Other
DJ AnupMech hosted a notable LGBTQ party at The Storytellers Bar.

Pulkit Sharma is a clinical psychologist and spiritual therapist who actively supports sexual minorities.

Kalki Koechlin is an actress who advocates for LGBT rights. Starred in "IICE Vodka 'KINKI CHILLI'" for LGBT rights. She is a French citizen of ethnic-French descent.