(Image source: MSN News)
BY LEXA DECKERT
ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO
You're watching multisource video news analysis from Newsy
India’s Health Minister -- Ghulam Nabi Azad -- is quoted saying homosexuality is unnatural and a disease -- chaos ensues.
“In India gay riots groups are voicing outrage over the anti-homosexual comments made by the country’s health minister. He was supposed to an HIV/AIDS conference on what the government is doing to prevent the spread of the virus -- instead the minister left people in shock.” (euronews)
But now - Azad claims the media has it wrong -- saying--he wasn’t trying to offend anyone and India doesn’t need the controversy. IBN Live tells its audience to judge for themselves...
“Homosexuality is unnatural. Unfortunately, this disease has come into our country too, which is completely unnatural and must not happen. The number of homosexuals has increased in our country... I have been totally misquoted by a section of media. I spoke both in Hindi and English and in neither of the languages did I use the word homosexuality or gay. Not even once. Not even by mistake.”
Some say -- it’s too little, too late.
LGBT rights advocates say the remark was not just offensive -- they fear it will show the stigma around homosexuality exists at every level in their government.
The Wall Street Journal has a statement from the head of the UN AIDs organization.
“India’s rich tradition of inclusivity and social justice must include men who have sex with men and transgender people... There is no place for stigma and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”
Others in the health ministry voiced their opinions-- saying it’s this kind of discrimination they try to discourage.
As NDTV reports-- some in the public have now lost faith in their health minister --
“I thought that he was ignorant and a homophobic, now I also think that he is a very bad liar. Of course we are going to carry on the campaign and protest -- there were already protests today... This is going to go on wherever the minister goes -- he’s going to face protests from the gay community.”
These protesters may not have to follow him for long. News X Live talked with someone who says- Azad should resign.
“Well I think it’s not simply saying, you know, ‘please correct yourself -- please learn something about HIV -- please study your ministry’s docket’ and so on. I think that such a person doesn’t deserve to remain as Minister anymore -- he really must go.”
The journey to becoming a more accepting country has been a slow one for India -- sexual relations between two members of the same sex was illegal in the country until just two years ago.
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