India: Transgender Man Makes History Coming In 2nd In Bodybuilding Competition

Aryan Pasha (image via Facebook)

Aryan Pasha, an Indian transgender man, made history this weekend when he came in second at the Musclemania bodybuilding competition held in Delhi.

Musclemania is one of the world’s largest natural bodybuilding organizations with several categories (fitness, sports model, physique and natural bodybuilding).

After training for a year, Pasha competed in the Men’s Physique (Short) category.

Pasha, who transitioned at 18-years-old, tells Gaylaxy Mag that he’s had an interest in bodybuilding since a young age. And when he discovered a bodybuilding competition for transgender men held in the United States, he began training for it.

But he was unfortunately denied a visa to travel to the U.S.

Undeterred, he decided to enter the Musclemania event in India in the men’s category.

View this post on Instagram

Fingure cross for results 🤞🏻#musclemania #musclemaniaindia #menphysique

A post shared by Aryan Pasha (@aryanpasha) on Dec 1, 2018 at 7:48am PST

Buoyed by the full support of his family and members of his gym, Pasha competed this past Saturday in a field of 125 contestants.

“It was my dream to participate in Men’s category,” Pasha told Gaylaxy. “Till now I have won medals in female category but this is what I actually wanted in my life – to complete with other men.”

“I enjoyed every second when I was on stage because this is what I dreamt of,” he added. “I was not nervous at all and just wanted to complete poses like a champion.”

Pasha, who works as a lawyer, says he will next take part in the the International Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (IBFF) event to be held in February.

That competition features categories for “men” and “transmen.” Pasha intends on competing in both categories.

He says his ultimate goal is to compete at the world level.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aryan Pasha (@aryanpasha) on Nov 29, 2018 at 8:24pm PST

(h/t GaylaxyMag)

India's High Court Overturns Dehumanzing Anti-LGBT Law

Awesome news from India this morning as the country's high court has overturned a colonial-era law which made same-sex relations illegal.

From The New York Times:

In a groundbreaking victory for gay rights, India’s Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously struck down one of the world’s oldest bans on consensual gay sex, putting to rest a legal battle that stretched for years and burying one of the most glaring vestiges of India’s colonial past.

After weeks of deliberation in the Supreme Court and decades of struggles by gay Indians, India’s chief justice, Dipak Misra, said that the colonial-era law known as Section 377 was “irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary.”

“We have to bid adieu to prejudices and empower all citizens,” he told a packed courtroom.

The court said that gay people were now entitled to all constitutional protections under Indian law and that any discrimination based on sexuality would be illegal.

India's LGBTQ community rejoices as the Supreme Court decriminalizes homosexuality https://t.co/3vjvfjZLbE pic.twitter.com/b4GuAGG6s2

— TIME (@TIME) September 6, 2018

“This monumental decision by India’s Supreme Court finally ends a deeply discriminatory law that violated the dignity and most fundamental human rights of LGBTQ people in India,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb. “We congratulate the plaintiffs in this case and the LGBTQ advocates who worked tirelessly for decades to achieve this tremendous victory."

"We hope this decision in the world’s largest democracy and second most populous country will set an example and galvanize efforts to overturn similar outdated and degrading laws that remain in 71 other countries,” Cobb added.

“The soul of this nation had been bruised and battered because of this archaic law,” said Harish Iyer, an Indian LGBTQ advocate who was involved in the legal challenge to Section 377. “Today, we have reaffirmed our right to our bodies and our right to love. The rainbow flag is proudly hoisted in our hearts and minds as we celebrate this victory.”

With a population of more than 1.3 billion, which accounts for 17% of the world's population, India is the largest democracy in the world.

Until this ruling, India was the most populous of 72 countries that criminalize same-sex relations.

In 10 countries around the world, homosexual activity may be punishable by death.

We join the people of India & the LGBTQIA+ community in their victory over prejudice. We welcome the progressive & decisive verdict from the Supreme Court & hope this is the beginning of a more equal & inclusive society. #Section377 pic.twitter.com/Fh65vOn7h9

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 6, 2018

Killer Gets Prison Sentence Reduced Using "Gay Panic" Defense

Another murderer has successfully utilized the 'gay panic' defense in an effort to see his prison sentence reduced.

A 35-year-old man in India had been found guilty of the stabbing murder of his friend and was in the 7th year of his sentence when he appealed to the Bombay High Court crying 'gay panic.'

From Gay Star News:

Originally convicted for murder and given a life sentence, the court reduced his sentence. The court’s changed the man’s sentence to culpable homicide and released him for time already served.

The man appealed his original sentence saying his friend was trying to have ‘unnatural sex’ with him and that’s why he attacked him.

In their ruling the court Justices said the man’s story seemed ‘plausible’.

‘If a person is asked to indulge in an unnatural sex act and assaulted, it is quite probable such a person in the heat of passion would assault the person demanding such unnatural act,’ the justices said.

Gay panic defenses in the U.S. have been banned in California, Rhode Island and Illinois.

In 2013, the American Bar Association approved a resolution condemning the practice.

News Round-Up: July 10, 2018

Calum Von Moger

Some news items you might have missed:

• This selfie by InstaHunk Calum Von Moger (above) just about laid me out. #Woofylicious

• The Supreme Court of India is considering decriminalizing gay sex.

• A Kansas City radio station is throwing anti-LBGTQ Vice President Mike Pence a "sausage fest" as he visits their city. LOL...

• An 8th former Ohio State University wrestler has come forward saying Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan knew about the team doctor's sexual abuse. The latest accuser says Jordan 'snickered' when he told him the physician "held my balls longer than normal."

• The mother of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter was told by mental health counselors he shouldn't have access to guns. She ignored them saying “If he wants to have a gun, he could have a gun.”

• Thailand's lawmakers are putting the finishing touches to their civil partnerships bill.

• The Human Rights Campaign vigorously opposes Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh:

"This nominee was hand-picked by anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice groups in an explicit effort to undermine equality -- and the prospect of a Justice Kavanaugh threatens to erode our nation’s civil rights laws, block transgender troops from bravely serving this nation and allow a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people in every aspect of American life."

Global Day of Rage in support of India over recriminalization of homosexuality

Image via Twitter

More than 30 cities across the world united on Sunday’s Global Day of Rage to fight for India’s LGBT community after the country’s Supreme Court upheld Section 377 of the Constitution criminalizing homosexuality.

In Berlin - Annet Audehm / Via Facebook: aaudehm

Source: Queer Diasporic

Much more at Buzzfeed.

India reinstates colonial era law making homosexuality illegal

In a staggering backward step for India as the country tries to position itself as a major power in the world, homosexuality has been re-criminalized in India.  The colonial era law was reinstated after the Supreme Court today reversed a 2009 ruling by the Delhi High Court and declared that only the national legislature can legalize gay sex.

From Reuters:

India's Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a ban on gay sex in the world's largest democracy, following a four-year period of decriminalization that had helped bring homosexuality into the open in the socially conservative country.

In 2009 the Delhi High Court ruled unconstitutional a section of the penal code dating back to 1860 that prohibits "carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal" and lifted the ban for consenting adults.

The Supreme Court threw out that decision, saying only parliament could change Section 377 of the penal code, widely interpreted to refer to homosexual sex. Violation of the law can be punished with up to 10 years in jail. The move shocked rights activists around the world, who had expected the court simply to rubber-stamp the earlier ruling. In recent years, India's Supreme Court has made progressive rulings on several issues such as prisoners' rights and child labor.

Dance: India's Got Talent

From "India's Got Talent"

First of all - how incredible are these two? And can I underscore the fact that they are 13 and 7???

I have to know, how do you follow that?

From the YouTube description: Sumant and Sonali, the two little students of Bivash Academy of Dance perform the most amazing and breathtaking Indian Classical choreographed by Mr. Bivash Chowdhury himself.

The dance was performed in the audition round of India's got talent Season 4, a reality show of Colors TV.