As the discussion around the demand for marriage equality in India continued, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opened his submissions on behalf of the state on April 26. On day 6 of the hearing, SG Mehta emphasized that the apex court is dealing with a “very complex subject” reiterating that the ‘issue’ must be left to the parliament. However, a number of people on the internet are concerned about the turn that this discussion has taken.
SG Tushar Mehta went on to compare homosexuality with incest and this “far-fetched” argument was also homophobic. But this was not the only concerning point that he made. He also added that “lesbians are like a man trapped in woman’s body”, adding that he read it somewhere. All of this to support his argument. The Solicitor General was also corrected and made to understand the difference between transgender and cisgender.
The lack of misinformation is definitely concerning, but the insensitivity here is what bothers people more. For anyone arguing for or against the matter, the need to develop a sense of empathy is important. On the other hand, the lack of basic knowledge is harmful in more ways than one – given that people are consuming this information. Not to mention, there are decisions being made, based on it.
Twitter is rightly apprehensive.
The arguments will resume on May 3.
