Homophobic coverage in Amravati draws LGBTQ ire

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Queer (LGBTQ) activists from as far has Nagpur, Pune and Mumbai descended on Amravati to protest what they call a “demeaning homophobic campaign being prominently carried by the local edition of Lokmat.”

Following a silent march to the newspaper office the activists demanded to meet Ganesh Deshmukh the editor under whose byline the “offensive” pieces were carried. The local police helped organise the meeting in their presence at the Municipal Commissioner’s Office in their presence as they feared violence from homophobes.

 Deshmukh told the activists in the meeting, “I was only highlighting the issue since we are a conservative town and do not like to see what is going on.” He could not however give a single instance of having received any complaint from people though.

The activists demanded that their side of the story also be reported in interest of ethics. Sonal Giani, Advocacy Officer, Humsafar Trust who also present told Deshmukh, "You confuse sexuality with sex work and speak about the LGBTQ community in the most deplorable manner. This besides impacting HIV intervention adversely, would push LGBTQ people deep into the closets of shame.”

Repeated attempts to speak to Deshmukh drew a blank. Group Executive editor Rajendra Darda who is incidentally a cabinet minister for education in the state too did not respond. His staff said he was travelling abroad and could be contactable on his return on Tuesday evening.

The five-part series carried with the by-line of one Ganesh Deshmukh who is the editor of the paper is based on a sting operation carried out in one of Amravati’s gay cruising points. The news stories which were accompanied by photographs which chose to humiliate men being intimate at the Zilla Prishad School grounds after dusk calls those caught on camera depraved. “They are choosing to humiliate the country with their depravity which they have picked up from the Western countries,” it insists.

Activists say they are riled since, this is not Deshmukh’s first  act of homophobic journalism. Bindumadhav Khire of Samarpathik Trust told dna, “As a reporter with Lokmat in Nagpur he had tried to raise morality issues over the congregation of gays at popular cruising points there too. It had led to widespread condemnation and outrage by human rights activists but Deshmukh clearly doesn’t seem to be picking up the hint.” He remembered how Deshmukh was sent get-well cards and roses in Gandhigiri inspired protest from gay rights activists across the country.

The newspaper’s reportage has come in for widespread condemnation on social media sites too.