Homophobia On Campus! IIT Bombay Students Think Homosexuality Is Curable; Half Not Willing To Share Rooms With LGBTQ

Nearly half of the students at IIT-Bombay would be uncomfortable sharing their rooms with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and a queer (LGBTQ), revealed a survey.

Despite studying in one of the leading science and technology institutes in the country, two in five have even suggested remedies to 'cure' homosexuality.

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The findings of the survey conducted online with about 600 students on the campus are published in the latest edition of their campus magazine, Insight.

The article titled 'Gay OK Please?' delved into the various misconceptions that exist in the society and also influence young bright minds in premier institutes.

About one third of the students have even said that the LGBTQ culture is against their religion, though a majority said that they were comfortable with an open culture on campus.

They do not mind what the members of the community do in the privacy of their bedrooms.

"Students on the campus are liberal and allow for freedom in one's personal space," said the article.

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Over 70% students, though approved of the fact that LGBTQ people can be good parents, 52% also believed exposure to them could affect a child's sexuality. Surprisingly, 23% of the students agreed to the fact that LGBTQ people use their sexuality to become famous.

'This depicts the significantly thriving negative beliefs of people towards the community', mentions the article.

While 92% students either believe that the community needs support to fight against injustice or were neutral to the question, about 59% were not as forceful to raise their voices against people showing anti-LGBTQ attitude.

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One of the members of Insight said that misconceptions are prevalent on the campus. "There is a need to conduct gender sensitization programmes in schools. Many of the students come from all-boys school and are not familiar with the concept of transgender, queer people. IIT-Bombay is one of the most liberal campuses. Though first or second year students may not be very comfortable with the idea of homosexuality, by the time these students graduate, their thought processes change," said the student.

A member and activist of Saathi, an LGBTQ resource group on the campus, said that the survey findings were not surprising.

AFP/representational image

"Students come from different sections of the society and one cannot expect all the 9,000 students to have similar opinions. Their misconceptions are not because they are prejudiced against the LGBTQ community, but due to their lack of awareness. We are somewhat successful in bringing about a positive change, but we are trying to reach out to many others. About 50% of the activists working with Saathi do not belong to the LGBTQ community," said the member.

Gender right activist Harish Sadani said it is not just important to encourage people to accept their sexual orientation, but it is equally important to help students from all genders connect with this group. The article in Insight concludes with the point that the survey results are reflective of Indian society.