For the LGBTQ community in India, 2016 was a brutal year that witnessed defeat of many attempts to revoke Section 377 of India’s penal code. Formally introduced during the British colonial era, Section 377 penalizes sexual intercourse against the order of nature, taking the form of harassment and provocation against the LGBTQ community, and encourages dangerous conditions for them to sustain and survive. In 2016, an award-winning Bollywood movie, Aligarh, based on the life of Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, an Aligarh Muslim University professor who was found dead days after his sexual orientation and tryst with another man was atrociously revealed in media, India was unwillingly confronted with the grave consequences of Section 377.
In June 2016, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a petition filed by Indian celebrities from various walks of life that challenged the criminalizing nature of Section 377. Member of Parliament, Shashi Tharoor, received flak by fellow politicians for his campaign to repeal Section 377 and introduce progressive measures towards legalizing consensual sex between adults regardless of their sexual orientation and gender.
Despite the setbacks, the debate has definitely stirred curiosity towards LGBTQ rights and has ignited a demand for reformation for the current criminalization codes.
To further the spirit of those rousing activism in his regard, Sher Vancouver, a social, cultural and support organization for LGBTQ South Asians in BC, presented the Youth Leadership Award for 2016 to Sukhdeep Singh, founder of India’s top LGBTQ+ magazine, Gaylaxy. As the editor-in-chief of this popular magazine, Singh has pioneered a platform for the community to express their views fearlessly and present pressing stories and issues to the wider society.
While discussing the conceptualization of Gaylaxy which happened in 2010, Singh states, “The first issue itself had over 1000 readers. In these 7 years, Gaylaxy has grown as a platform that connects the LGBTQ+ community and provides them information as well as entertainment.” Indeed, the magazine was an instant success and amassed massive support within a short period of time, but there was something impeding the reach of its engaging editorial: a language barrier. Initially launched as an English magazine, Gaylaxy created a Hindi edition to broaden the scope amongst its Hindi reading audience. “A majority of Indians do not speak English. 41.1% of Indians, or more than a million Indian[s], speak/understand Hindi. However, most of the resources or websites related to LGBTQ+ are in English, meaning that a vast majority of Indians do not have access to LGBTQ+ literature/information. Gaylaxy Hindi was launched with the aim to fill this void and in these 3 years, has published many articles in Hindi and acts as a resource guide for many Hindi speaking Indians.” Today the magazine has grown immensely. The team consists of 10 individuals and 150 contributors.
The award entails a $500 cash prize presented by Sher Vancouver founder, Alex Sangha, who commended Singh’s courage and skills in reporting LGBTQ issues. “The selection committee was also very much aware of the fact that it takes considerable courage to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in India where homosexuality is still very much a taboo in society."
Sher Vancouver’s Youth Leadership Award is named after January Marie Lapuz, the first transgender member to hold an integral position in the Sher Vancouver team and who passed away in September 2012. This award is presented to a youth between 16-30 years of age who embodies the spirit of involvement, commitment and leadership towards the LGBTQ+ community at a local, national and/or international level. Sher Vancouver welcomes applications from individuals who serve this group.
