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Say Event May Affect India's Gay & Lesbian Progress Insensitivity in One Place has Repercussions in Another |
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By Jack Nichols
 Bombay, India— Angry anti-gay Hindu activists are up in arms, and have accused The Sydney (Australia) Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Committee of declaring war on Hinduism.
This startling accusation focused on the Sydney Mardi Gras Committee's decision to stage its annual Sleaze Ball at the Hordern Pavilion , with the theme of "HomoSutra", a reference to the famous Indian text, The Kama Sutra, which recommends a variety of sexual positions. In language marked by their fury, however, the Hindus declared: "The bigoted event was nothing more than an anti-religious, obscene denigration of sacred symbols and Hindu Deities." "Incredibly," charge the insulted Hindus, "this sacrilegious all-night party was funded by the Australian government, Qantas, Telstra and (certain) hotel chains, such as Parkroyal, Centra and Travelodge, whose advertising campaigns often promote multiculturalism in connection with their products and services."
While one of the Lord Vishnu's hands holds a lotus flower, another hand caresses a large crystal ball with two men inside clearly engaging in anal sex. Below this image, a naked four-handed woman also holds a lotus flower and crystal ball showing two women erotically engaged. The centerpiece decoration on stage at the Hordern Pavilion was an 18 foot (6 meter) tall statue of Ganesh, with huge breasts. Pre-event publicity encouraged people to come and offer "interpretive dance and then manifest happily in an explosion of carnal queer karma." Dancers clad in leather fetish garb including full leather face masks, simulated oral, anal and group sex in front of "Gaynesh". Many other deities sacred to Hindus were included as decorations.
Hindu scriptures, insist their offended protectors, including the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, the Narada Purana and other Vedic literatures clearly point out that homosexual relations are a kind of shameful behavior. This 'offensive' Sleaze Ball theme, they worry, "erroneously gives the impression that Hinduism promotes and accepts homosexuality and promiscuity…This is absolutely false and misleading." An anti-gay activist in Australia fumed: "It's outrageous and totally hypocritical that homosexual activists are bludgeoning a minority religion with such offensive, sacrilegious materials. Here in NSW, they've lobbied government to pass an anti-vilification law that protects themselves, homosexuals, yet they think it's perfectly OK to vilify and blaspheme people of religious faiths. Today it's Hindus, tomorrow it'll be Christians, Buddhists, or Muslims. If there's going to be an anti-vilification law, then it should include people of all religions." Radha-Krishnadas, from the Australian School of Meditation (ASM) said: "It deeply saddens me that homosexual activists are engaging in such obvious hate-mongering. This kind of religion bashing is anti-Hindu, anti-family, anti-Australian and anti-humanity. Government and businesses should be ashamed for sponsoring this hateful agenda." A growing number of religious, civil and political organizations worldwide, such as AHAD (American Hindus Against Defamation), Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America and Rev. Fred Nile of the Christian Democrats have condemned the "Sleaze Ball" event as bigoted, anti-religious and anti-multicultural. Letters and offending materials from the "Sleaze Ball" have been sent to the sponsors and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Committee. Some gay activists say they worry that fundamentalist Hinduism is positioning itself in such a way as to emulate the Rev. Jerry Falwell or Scotland's Cardinal Winning in the Christian fold.
"What we are demanding," say the Hindus, "is that the sponsors issue a public apology to the Hindu community and that they also promise to withdraw all future funding to any anti-religious and anti-multicultural event."
An alarmed Indian gay activist wrote yesterday to GayToday telling of the dilemmas he sees now suddenly facing his nation's lesbian and gay activists: "The news has not reached mainstream media in India as yet. But I am pretty sure that when/if it does it will have a negative impact on the nascent gay movement here. We are barely finding our bearings ... and this blatant 'in your face' act has shaken many of my friends who feel we will end up as scapegoats of Hindu fanatics because of an event with which we have absolutely no connection. "We don't know what to do…remember most gays in India are just finding the strength to peep out of the closet." |
