“The Pink List is a collection of candidates contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections who have publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights”, reads the introduction of their website. It is a non-exhaustive list of almost all the candidates who have stood up for LGBTQIA+ rights. It is to not only reward them for their endeavours but also to eventually build “a network of politicians across party lines to make queer issues a political imperative. In the last few decades, queer issues have found their way into the country’s mainstream political discourse. After years of petitioning by the LGBTQIA+ community, India’s Supreme Court struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), decriminalising homosexuality last year in July. Now, as the nation’s Lok Sabha (LS) elections are in full swing, 22-year-old Anish Gawande, director of the Dara Shikoh Fellowship, 24-year-old Smriti Deora, a graphic designer and 25-year-old Devina Buckshee, a journalist put together the Pink List India, earlier this month. The website and the Instagram page essentially act as a listing to help Indian voters get a clear picture of the issues that interest their candidates.
The legal milestone has to be supplemented by progressive policy changes to have a real impact on the lives of people. Also, the queer political landscape in India is undergoing a massive transformation. This change needs to be used to make a difference. There are four categories on the list into which politicians have been grouped – Trailblazers, Changemakers, Outspoken Allies, and Allies. Trailblazers are political candidates from the LGBTQIA+ community who have chosen to represent the community in the 17th Lok Sabha. Should they win, they would go down in history as the first ever MP(s) from the community. The list of changemakers includes Dr Shashi Tharoor, Jay Panda, and so on. They are politicians who have “vocally and unequivocally” supported LQBTQIA+ rights in the past, whether it is on the Parliament floor or on various media platforms. Outspoken Allies are politicians who have gone out of their way to show their support for LGBTQIA+ rights. This could be through public statements on social media, interviews, speeches or Parliament remarks. And finally, Allies are politicians who have shown silent support through small statements or actions within Parliament. Mainly those who supported Shashi Tharoor’s Private Member Bill to scrap Section 377 in the Lok Sabha. The list is also quick to disclaim that the politicians in the list are only there based on their stance on LGBTQIA+ issues. It is not a blind endorsement and advises voters to do their own research into other aspects of the respective candidates’ views, so as to make an informed choice. Some of the politicians on the list are indeed problematic in various other aspects. Go see if a candidate from your constituency is on the list!
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