Siddhartha Gautam, An Unsung Hero

There have been countless unsung heroes If today the LGBTQ+ community can live with respect and freedom unlike in the days of yore, it is due to the relentless efforts of unsung heroes like Siddhartha Gautam. His short but succinct life is a tribute to the cause of the marginalized and he is remembered even today for his pivotal role in the 1990s' gay rights movement.

Gone, but not forgotten - Siddhartha Gautam; Source: InUTH.com

In 2018, when the Supreme Court of India decriminalized Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial-era law that condemned homosexual relations between consenting adults as “unnatural offenses”, it was a ray of hope for all the queer people whose identity could now be openly expressed without fear of punishment. It was also a triumph for all their queer ancestors who had lived in perpetual misery and fear, hiding their true identities under a mask of heteronormativity. Siddhartha Gautam was one such person who is still remembered for his significant contributions to the gay rights movement that was gaining momentum in the late 1900s.

Novelist Sandip Roy once wrote about an interaction with Gautam where the latter had reassured him: “You don’t have to stay away because you are gay. Things will change here. Believe me.” It was this belief and determination that gave the much-needed thrust to gay rights movements in India and eventually led to decriminalizing the draconian Section 377. As a youth, Gautam was educated at Yale in the US and was drawn towards activism for various causes. Often described by many as “a lanky young man with charmingly crooked teeth”, his faith in the changing socio-cultural and political landscape of India was immense. Upon his return to India, Gautam became an advocate and joined the gay rights movement. The stage for a full-fledged movement was gaining ground as the 1990s was a crucial time for the queer community. The government-sponsored AIDS campaign was in full swing and several communities including gay men, sex workers, drug addicts and professional blood donors, felt the strongest impact under these draconian measures.

In response to the hostile environment, the AIDS Bhedbav Virodhi Andolan (ABVA) was founded in 1988 and it was the first HIV or AIDS activist movement in India. Soon after his return to India, Gautam joined the ABVA. This movement sought to eliminate the stigma attached to AIDS. Social isolation, harassment by laymen and the police, inadequate rehabilitation homes, and little to no effort in integrating the afflicted people back into mainstream public life was the order of the day. The lack of proper scientific knowledge about AIDS intensified social alienation and prejudice, and ABVA was the starting point of national conversations about the disease. This helped to dispel myths and spread awareness and information.

ABVA protests at AIIMS, New Delhi in 1991; Source: Gaylaxy

Due to the efforts of ABVA, the AIDS Prevention Bill, tabled secretly in the Rajya Sabha in 1989, that “would strip the rights and dignity of those tested HIV positive while giving a clean chit to doctors and pharmaceutical companies” was stalled. While the bill had no clear demarcations of how the medical treatment of HIV-affected patients would proceed, it singled out “high-risk groups”, creating further distrust and alienation among people. Passing this bill would lead to these groups of people being forcibly tested purely out of suspicion, compromising their democratic rights and civil liberties. After several petitions were submitted to the Parliament, the Bill was withdrawn.

In 1991, the ABVA published a long report titled “Less Than Gay: A Citizens’ Report on the Status of Homosexuality in India”, the first of its kind. An extremely bold venture undertaken by seven members of the ABVA that included Siddhartha Gautam, the report was detailed and embedded in practicality. It came out as a small booklet with a pink cover.

This meticulously prepared report has since become a cornerstone in all intellectual discussions about intersectionality, queer studies, and gender equality. It came as a by-product of the ABVA's aim and challenged sodomy laws in India that failed to recognize and provide basic human rights to queer individuals. They had to hide behind a false mask to remain as acceptable members of society. The report drew extensively from real-life, including stories of sex and sexuality, love and heartbreak, the gay life in the 1980s, and the suicide attempts people often resorted to after finding out that they were HIV positive. They spoke about the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse transgender people had to go through even at the hands of policemen. It was a safe space that encouraged closeted individuals to come out and share their stories with the world. It was through these poignant accounts that the gross neglect and inequality faced by the LGBTQ+ community was discovered after the report started getting national media coverage. All inaccurate notions and myths surrounding the community were eliminated.

Interesting observations about a lesser number of lesbians being recorded were mentioned, hinting that women still didn't have enough courage to come out. It was in this report that Section 377's brutality was first questioned. ABVA was also the first collective movement to file a petition against the homophobic law. In the end, the report listed a charter of demands through which ABVA urged the government not just to repeal Section 377, but to also recognize the right to privacy as a fundamental right, amend the Constitution to include “sexual orientation” as well as provide civil rights to LGBT+ people including same-sex marriage.

In his short life, Siddhartha Gautam had already achieved immense. His contribution to the contemporary gay rights movement remains unparalleled. Gautam tragically passed away in 1993. He could not see his dream turn into reality, but the vision he left behind and that infectious hope and energy surely vitalized every single person who fought for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.