Listen: It's Not Easy For Queer Community Members to Come Out Even Though Section 377 Has Gone

In September 2018, the Supreme Court removed Section 377 – sexual relations between same-sex couples was no longer criminal. It was a big victory for the LGBTQI+ community, which had fought for this for years.

But even after that, those from the queer community have to face societal pressures and prejudices. "Coming out to parents is not enough. Even if they are welcoming, one has to come out to friends, family, society. Social stigma is still there, and there are suicides and mental health issues," says Sharif Rangnekar, writer and public affairs professional, in this podcast discussion with Sidharth Bhatia.

Rangnekar, whose new book Queersapien describes his own personal journey as a gay man, discusses social atitudes to queers – "many still believe its a Western import", representation – "English-speaking people dominate" and internal differences in the community itself – "left-right, caste, religion, all the fault lines are there".

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