On September 6 the Supreme Court partially struck down the barbaric and colonial-era Section 377 thereby decriminalising homosexuality in its historic verdict. Since then the entire nation is celebrating the victory of love and calling it an “Azadi (freedom) movement”.

This long-pending judgement would have been impossible without the support of many activists and people who have vouched for the freedom and equality for LGBTQ+ communities members. One among these many unsung heroes- Ashok Row Kavi, an LGBTQ+ activist, is the first man who publicly came out as a gay in India in 1984.

The journalist-turned-activist founded Mumbai-based LGBT rights NGO Humsafar Trust in 1994. He is also one of the many petitioners who was fighting for the scrapping of Section 377.

”Amma” of LGBTQ Community

The Logical Indian spoke to Ashok Row, one of India’s most vocal gay rights activist who bravely stood for not just himself but for many others while seeking justice and freedom for the whole community.

Ashok, who is commonly referred to as ‘Amma’. He says he feels proud when the people call him ‘Amma’. “Those people might have seen some leadership qualities in me. As a journalist, I have led many teams but this sought of leadership is personal. Now when I address people’s problems, I have a sense of parenthood in me,” says Row.

Before starting activism against the rampant homophobia in the country, he pursued a career in journalism that spanned over 18 years. During that time Ashok Row worked with many renowned media houses including The Indian Express, The Week, and the Free Press Journal. Later he also founded India’s first gay magazine, Bombay Dost. He retired from journalism in 1990.

Journalist, Monk- Ashok Rao Kavi

When asked about why he left journalism to become an activist, he said, nobody becomes activist out of their choice. “People like me end up becoming activist because nobody else does the work, nobody fight for issues and that is why we have to step up to make it happen.”

He calls himself “a proud Hindu” and is a monk of Ramakrishna order. Row Kavi has relied on Hinduism and its text for advocating the removal of Section 377. When asked about how his beliefs align with his activism for the sexual minority, he said, “I am a proud Hindu and to fight the barbaric law which was brought by the Britishers, I don’t need to dissociate myself from my religion.” He opened about his sexuality at the time when he was preparing to become a monk. It was during his training in the Ramakrishna Math that Row Kavi came out as being a gay to a senior monk, Swami Harshananda.

Refuting these claims of several Hindu outfits, according to whom homosexuality is against the religion, Row Kavi said that, Hinduism was never against the attraction among the same sex. He says that no Hindu text has ever called homosexuality a sin and the experts who have studied religious book thoroughly will agree to it. “Those who are using Hinduism as a shield are not true Hindu for me. I don’t know if they have even read our Hindu scriptures properly,” he said.

Blaming the Victorian rulers for terming same-sex relationships as a sin, he said that it was not homosexuality that was brought by Britishers in India, rather, it was homophobia which they brought and left it on us. “The law and the punishment for Homosexuality in India came from the Bible and the Leviticus (the third book of the Torah and of the Old Testament).”

Born to a higher caste Hindu family, he also spoke about how homosexuality became a taboo in India. He said, “The fear that was being spread was because homosexuality is non-productive and that generated homophobic in our culture, but the Hindu text, unlike other religions has never termed it a sin.”

Row Kavi, along with many another activists struggled for more than 30 years, trying to educate the people about the homosexuality and in an aim to get justice for “his people” he knocked the door of the top court. The victory, dressed in rainbow colour, at last, made its way in 2018.

“I will not use victim card to win my battle”

Row Kavi said that he will not wear his victim batch to celebrate his victory, “I will not cry about what happened to me, or what they did to me. I am just proud that, it was my fight and I fought for it without caring about the society.” Calling it a fight of equal dignity and rights, he said, “It wasn’t easy. Yet, we had to fight just because as a citizen of this country it is our constitutional right to live and love with our choice.”

Meanwhile, the activist also emphasised the need for sex and gender education in schools. He said that his trust, “Humsafar” along with many NGOs have been demanding for this since 1993. “The Humsafar trust has been stressing on the need of sex-sexuality education. We have a module called sex-sexuality and gender equality that we want the young children should be taught,” he said. He further added that no school or colleges have this module and because of…