Gay sex is “unnatural”, a “disease”: India’s health minister
For India’s health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, homosexuality is not only “unnatural” but also a “disease.”
Addressing mayors and village council heads on HIV/AIDS on Monday, he said “this disease has come to India from foreign shores.”
“The disease of MSM (men having sex with men) is unnatural and not good for Indian society,” he said. “It’s a challenge to identify such people. In case of female sex workers, we can identify the community and reach out to them since they live in clusters. But in case of MSMs, it isn’t always possible.”
In The Times of India: According to the National Aids Control Organization (NACO), India is home to an estimated 4.12 lakh MSMs of whom 2.74 lakhs have been identified. Around 4.2% of all sexually-active males in India are believed to have sex with other men, with Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Orissa reporting the highest number of such cases.
Indian gay rights activists have voiced shock and outrage over the minister’s remarks.