Societal perceptions and homosexuality in India: The impact of colonialism on Hindu religious and cultural history of homosexuality

Abstract

This paper explores the colonial underpinnings of societal perceptions of homosexuality. Using India as the point of contextualization, it delves into how the social order of the country, including its colonial past, religious values, and societal perceptions, impact the treatment of the LGBTQIA+ community. In particular, this paper explores how the British imparted their restrained Victorian value system of heteronormativity and how this destabilised the traditional and religious systems in India. This paper also discusses cogent ways in which India can decolonize its approach to homosexuality.