Latest news with #TamilNaduRainbowCoalition
The Hindu
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition criticises Thol. Thirumavalavan's remarks on same-sex love
The Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition (TNRC), a network of groups from the sexual and gender minority communities, on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) urged Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan to 'reflect on the immense harm caused by his statement' against the LGBTQIA+ community recently. In a video clip that has gone viral, a youngster, during an event, seeks Mr. Thirumavalavan's views on same-sex love, to which he responds that it is a form of 'perversion'. The TNRC, in a statement, said that 'modern science and medicine have established, beyond doubt, that homosexuality is neither unnatural nor a disorder.' 'In 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from the Interntational Classification of Disorders (ICD) and the understanding of homosexuality as a natural variation of human sexuality has been reiterated by the Indian Psychiatric Society and other professional medical associations. Further, Indian jurisprudence, dating back to the Delhi High Court (2009) and Supreme Court (2018), has reiterated that queer desire in natural and is not criminal so long as the individuals involved are adults engaged in consensual acts,' the statement said. The statement further said, 'Given this context, it is truly disappointing that individuals such as Thiruma, whose life's mission is rooted in eradicating social injustice, hold such inaccurate, outdated, and damaging views of lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, and other queer persons. Equating the love and relationships of these and other sexual minority individuals to 'perversion' reinforces stigma, fuels discrimination, and directly contributes to the violence and alienation faced by queer people in Tamil Nadu and across India.' The TNRC urged Mr. Thirumavalavan to make efforts to examine his biases, and 'lead VCK by example towards a more inclusive and equitable world view.'
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Activists condemn VCK leader Thirumavalavan's comments on same-sex relationships
CHENNAI: LGBTQIA+ rights activists have condemned VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan for describing same-sex relationship as 'perversion' during a public event, and demanded an apology and clarity on the party's stands on LGBTQIA+ rights. A collective statement, issued by LGBTQIA+ Persons Who Stand For Social Justice called the comment 'deeply disturbing' and 'unscientific.' The comment, made at the Let Us Learn Democracy and Student Parliament 2025 conference on April 12, came in response to a law student's question about same-sex relationships in the context of Tamil society's definition of love. Thirumavalavan replied that 'in English, they call that perversion' and stated that love between two men goes against nature. The Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition (TNRC), a collective of groups and individuals from the sexual and gender minority communities, in a separate open letter to Thirumalavan, expressing 'deep anguish and disappointment', stated that homosexuality is neither unnatural nor a disorder, citing the World Health Organization's removal of homosexuality from its International Classification of Disorders in 1990. They also noted the Indian Psychiatric Society's endorsement of homosexuality as a natural variation of human sexuality.
