World Bank2014-04-222014-04-222012-07https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17984Discrimination and stigma are constant companions in the life of the rainbow people. Apart from the demand for decriminalization, the main issues that confront the community are discrimination and violence, recognition of alternative family structures, adoption and property rights, and access to social security measures including identity documentation, welfare schemes, and education and health services. In order to establish a realistic plan for their inclusion into state provided services and liberties, it was important to understand what prevents them from doing so at this time, and to develop a carefully crafted roadmap for actions that the State, community and other stakeholders can program into their day-to-day work. Sexual minorities have fought a long battle against discrimination. Criminalization of Hijra and homosexuals took place during the colonial period and Lord Macaulay drafted the now infamous section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) according to the law, voluntary carnal intercourse against the order of nature could be punished by imprisonment. Laws such as section 377 have long been removed in most western democracies, although they persist in many post-colonial countries in Asia and Africa. In 2009, the Delhi High Court also read down the law, legalizing same sex consensual homosexual activities between adults. This judgment is unfortunately now challenged at the Supreme Court of India which is currently hearing the arguments of either side. The decriminalization of the community remains a fundamental issue which needs resolution if the community is to attain its rightful due. Continued advocacy on the part of the community and education of its people in the implications of the 2009 High Court judgment are important steps.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOABUSEACCESS TO EDUCATIONACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICESACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROMEACTIVE PARTICIPATIONADOPTION LAWSADOPTIONSADULT LIFEADVOCACYAIDS PREVENTIONANTI-DISCRIMINATIONANTIDISCRIMINATIONANXIETYBABYBISEXUALBISEXUALSBLINDCHILD DEVELOPMENTCITIZENCITIZENSCITIZENSHIPCIVIL LAWCIVIL MARRIAGECIVIL RIGHTSCIVIL SOCIETYCIVIL SOCIETY INSTITUTIONSCIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONSCIVIL UNIONSCLINICSCOMMUNITIESCOMMUNITY HEALTHCOMPANIONSCONDOMSCONSENTING ADULTSCOURTCOURTSCRIMECRIMESCRIMINALCRIMINALSCULTURAL PRACTICECULTURAL PRACTICESCULTURAL RIGHTSCUSTODYDECRIMINALIZATIONDEMOCRATIC SOCIETYDEVELOPMENT GOALSDEVOLUTION OF PROPERTYDIETDIGNITYDISABILITYDISABLEMENTDISCRIMINATIONDISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMENDISCRIMINATIONSDISSEMINATIONDIVERSITYDIVORCEDOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPSDOMESTIC VIOLENCEDROPOUTDRUGSECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIESEDUCATIONAL SYSTEMEMPOWERMENTEPIDEMICEQUAL ACCESSEQUAL OPPORTUNITYEQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICYEQUAL RIGHTSEQUALITYEXCLUSIONFAMILIESFAMILY STRUCTUREFAMILY STRUCTURESFAMILY WELFAREFEMALEFEMALESFORMS OF DISCRIMINATIONFREE WILLFULL PARTICIPATIONFUNDAMENTAL RIGHTFUNDAMENTAL RIGHTSGAYGAY MENGAYSGENDERGENDER EQUALITYGENDER ROLESGENDER SENSITIZATIONGENDERSGOVERNMENT AGENCIESGOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTSGUARDIANSHIPHEALTH PROBLEMSHEALTH SECTORHEALTH SERVICESHEARINGHEARINGSHIVHIV/AIDSHOMEHOMESHOMOSEXUALITYHOMOSEXUALSHOSPITALHOSPITALSHUMAN DEVELOPMENTHUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUSHUMAN RIGHTSHUMILIATIONIMMIGRATIONIMMUNODEFICIENCYIMPRISONMENTINCLUSIONINHERITANCEINHERITANCE RIGHTSINSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMSINTERCOURSEINTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONINTERNATIONAL COVENANTINTERVENTIONISSUES OF POVERTYJAILSJOBSJUDGESJUSTICEJUVENILE JUSTICEKINSHIPLAWSLEGAL REFORMLEGAL STATUSLEGISLATIONLEGISLATIONSLESBIANLESBIANSLIBERTIESLIBERTYLOCAL AUTHORITIESMAINSTREAMMAINSTREAMINGMALE HEIRMARGINALIZATIONMARITAL RELATIONSHIPSMARITAL STATUSMARRIAGESMARRIED COUPLEMARRIED COUPLESMEDICAL FACILITIESMENTAL ABUSEMINISTRY OF HEALTHMINORITIESMINORITYMONOGAMYMOVEMENTNATIONAL AIDSNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONNATIONAL LEVELNUTRITIONOBSCENITYOFFENCESOLD AGEOPEN SOCIETYOPPOSITE SEXOPPRESSIONOUTREACH WORKERSPARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIESPARENTHOODPARENTINGPARTNERSHIPPATRIARCHYPENAL CODEPERSONAL LIBERTYPERSONAL SAFETYPERSONALITYPHYSICIANSPOLICY DECISIONSPOLITICAL RIGHTSPOPULATION GROUPSPRACTITIONERSPRISONPRIVACYPRIVATE LIFEPROGRESSPROPERTY LAWSPROPERTY RIGHTSPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC OPINIONPUBLIC PLACEPUBLIC PLACESPUNISHABLE OFFENCERACERACIAL DISCRIMINATIONRAPERAPE LAWSRECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTIONRELIGIOUS GROUPSREPRODUCTIVE HEALTHREPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICESRESPECTRIGHTS ORGANIZATIONSSAME SEXSAME SEX COUPLESSANCTIONSCHOOL SYSTEMSSCHOOLSSENSITIVE SUBJECTSERVICE PROVIDERSSERVICE PROVISIONSEXSEX EDUCATIONSEX WITH MENSEXUAL ACTIVITYSEXUAL ASSAULTSEXUAL BEHAVIORSEXUAL HARASSMENTSEXUAL HEALTHSEXUAL INTERCOURSESEXUAL ORIENTATIONSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPSSEXUAL RIGHTSSOCIAL ACCEPTANCESOCIAL EXCLUSIONSOCIAL JUSTICESOCIAL MOVEMENTSSOCIAL NORMSSOCIAL PROTECTIONSOCIAL SECTORSSOCIAL SECURITYSOCIAL SERVICESSOCIAL STRUCTURESOCIETIESSTATE GOVERNMENTSSTATE POLICYSURGERYTECHNICAL SUPPORTTOLERANCETREATMENT SERVICESTREATYUNEMPLOYMENTUNIVERSAL ACCESSUNMARRIED COUPLEUNMARRIED COUPLESVICTIMSVULNERABLE GROUPSVULNERABLE POPULATIONSWARWEDDINGWELFARE STATEWIFEWILLWIVESWOMANWORKFORCEWORKING CLASSWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION10.1596/17984