Providing Treatment

Despite the longtime ban, in some ways acceptance of homosexual behavior is deeply rooted in Indian culture, says Ahuja, citing as examples the positive depictions of same-sex activity in the 2,000-year-old Kama Sutra and in the 1,000-year-old erotic sculptures at the Khajuraho temples. “Homosexuality began to be frowned upon when the British Raj banned homosexual relations under Section 377 in 1861,” says Ahuja. But while Indian society is willing to accept homosexuality in certain groups—especially among creative professionals in the world of fashion or film—homosexuality overall is highly stigmatized, she says.

Today, being gay in India can mean being rejected by family, being ostracized by the community and even facing violence. In a small qualitative study, psychologists Apoorva B of Manipal University and Elizabeth Thomas, PhD, of Christ University in Bangalore found that parents often reacted to daughters’ coming out by denying their sexuality or trying to use violence to change them (Journal of Psychosocial Research, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2016).

And when Sharanya Rao, a PhD student in clinical psychology at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., examined the impact of the law on the mental well-being of sexual minorities in India, she found that the perceived impact of Section 377 and the stress of concealing their true selves led to increased depressive symptoms and a diminished sense of belonging (Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, online first publication, 2018). The law, says Rao, had “a very real impact in terms of how people see themselves being accepted by their country.”

Throughout the long fight against the ban, Hemchand and other practitioners have worked to raise awareness, joining demonstrations, educating colleagues and issuing proclamations of support.

Unfortunately, many psychologists and other mental health professionals still share the wider society’s heterosexism. While those in larger cities tend to show more sympathy toward these clients, in smaller towns and rural areas, it’s largely a different story, Hemchand says. She estimates that 10 to 20 percent of mental health professionals nationwide still attempt to convert their clients.”

As a result, many LGBTQ Indians have been reluctant to seek therapy for fear that therapists either wouldn’t understand their issues or would be actively hostile toward them, says Sadhana Vohra, PsyD, a private practitioner in Delhi who has been a pioneer in LGBTQ-friendly therapy in India. Now a growing number of psychologists are following Vohra’s lead, and LGBTQ groups are circulating lists of gay-friendly therapists like her. “Even when homosexuality is a crime, you can still be encouraging of clients who belong to that community,” says Vohra. “You can still be supportive of them and help them find ways to survive.”