Top

Published in:

2017 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

6. Law Beyond the Law

Author : Yeshwant Naik

Published in: Homosexuality in the Jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of India

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

As discussed in previous chapters, in its December 2013 verdict on consensual sex in private between two adults the Supreme Court of India (henceforth “the Court”) recriminalized homosexuality. Overturning the Delhi High Court’s decision on the constitutionality of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the Court found that the said section does not suffer from any constitutional infirmity. Nevertheless, the Court in its verdict opined that the competent legislature shall be free to consider the desirability and propriety of amending or deleting Section 377 from the statute book. But this decision, as I have argued and continue to argue, is unconstitutional: There is a diversity of sexual preferences and homosexual sexual relations should be decriminalized and accepted based on the constitutional rights of gay men to privacy, to sexual identity, to personal freedom and to equal treatment, among others.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

previous chapter Analyzing the Supreme Court’s Verdict on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code

next chapter Global Discrimination Against Gay Families

NAZ foundation v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi, 160 Delhi Law Times 277, see http://lobis.nic.in/dhc/APS/jugement/02-07-2009/APS02072009CW74552001.pdf (accessed on March 25, 2015).

In this dissertation, patriarchy is understood as a social and ideological system which considers men to be superior to women and where men have more control over resources and decision making. It is historically constructed and appears differently in different contexts and at different times. See Bhasin, K., Exploring Masculinity, 2009, p. 8. The Khasis of Shillong and the Nayars on the Malabar Coast of southern India are known for their matrilineal family and kinship system.

Chynoweth, P., “Advanced research methods in the built environment,” pp. 111–120.

Blommaert, J., and Jie, D., “Ethnographic Fieldwork: Beginner’s Guide,” pp. 62–65.

Dave, N.N., Queer Activism in India: A Story of Anthropology of Ethics, pp. 21–26.

Fife, W., “Doing Fieldwork Ethnographic Methods for Research in Developing Countries and Beyond,” pp. 93–99.

Ibid., pp. 25–26.

Also, Hindi, Marathi and Tamil Speakers.

Main Source: Westermarck, E., “Homosexual love,” in ed. Calverton, V.F., The Making of Man – An Outline of Anthropology, pp. 529–564.

Ibid.; see Fn. 2, p. 555 (The statement that it is unknown among certain people cannot reasonably mean that it may not be practiced in secret).

Ibid., p. 529.

Reddy, G., With Respect to Sex: Negotiating Hijra Identity of South India, p. 310; see also Nanda, S., Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijra of India, p. 186; see also Weston, K., Families We Choose, pp. 351–352.

Westermarck, E., op. cit.

Ibid., p. 530; see also footnote 6, p. 556 – (Davydow, quoted by Holmberg, “Ethnographische Skizzen ueber die voelker der russichen Amerika,” in Acta Soc. Scientiarum Fennica, iv, p. 400).

Westermarck, E., p. 530.

Ibid., p. 530; see also footnote 8, p. 556 – (Jochelson, K., Religion and Myth, pp. 52, 53, fn. 3).

Westermarck, E., op. cit., p. 530.

Greenberg, D.F., Construction of Homosexuality, p. 27–28.

Ibid., p. 27–28.

Herdt, G., The Sambia: Ritual, Sexuality and Change in Papua Guinea (Case Studies in Cultural Anthropology), 2005.

Westermarck, E., op. cit., p. 531.

Ibid., p. 531–532.

Ibid., see also footnote 129 – (Merker, Die Masai, p. 208, p. 561).

Westermarck, E., Homosexual love, p. 542.

Ibid.

Greenberg, D., Construction of Homosexuality, p. 12.

Ibid., pp. 176, 177, 180, 181, 188, 156.

Rigveda, one of the canonical sacred text of Hinduism says “Virukti Evam Prakriti”.

Greenberg, D., op. cit., p. 12.

Greenberg, D., op. cit., p. 2–3.

Foucault’s interview on “Sex, Power, and the Politics of Identity” was conducted by B. Galiagher and A. Wilson in Toronto in June 1982. It appeared in The Advocate 400 (7^th August 1984), p. 171.

Though many scholars claim this was a misreading of scripture. See Boswell, J., Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality (1980).

Kuefler, M., The Manly Eunuch: Masculinity, Gender Ambiguity, and Christian Ideology in Late Antiquity, p. 2.

Goffmann, E., The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, p. 28; see also Clarke, S., “Culture and Identity,” p. 511.

Goffmann, E., p. 28.

Feminine is supposed to be intuitive, emotional, receptive and compassionate; and feminine nature is viewed to be made up of love and wisdom. See Bhasin, K., Exploring Masculinity, p. 13–14.

Hegemonic means all-encompassing leadership or dominance. Hegemonic masculinity is therefore overpowering masculinity.

In gender studies, hegemonic masculinity is a concept popularized by sociologist R.W. Connell of proposed practices that promote the dominant social position of men and the subordinate social position of women. Masculine means having qualities or appearances traditionally associated with men; that is, masculinity has to do with particular traits and qualities rather than with biology. Collin’s Thesaurus has the following equivalents for masculine: “male, manful, manlike, manly, mannish, virile, bold brave, butch, gallant, hardy, macho, muscular, powerful, red-blooded, resolute, robust, stout-hearted, strapping strong, vigorous, well built.” Masculinity is a social definition given to men by societies; like gender, it is a social construct; see Connell, R.W., Masculinities, 1995; see also Bhasin, K., Exploring Masculinity, p. 6.

Clarke, S., Culture and Identity, p. 510.

Clarke, S., op. cit., p. 511.

Gidden, A., Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, p. 528.

Bhasin, K., op. cit., p. 298.

Oakley, A., Sex, Gender and Society, p. 158.

A saree is a South Asian female garment that consists of a drape varying from five to nine yards, typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, see Lynton, L., The Sari, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, 1995.

Butler, J., Gender Trouble, p. 23. See also Callis, A. S., “Playing with Butler and Foucault: Bisexuality and Queer Theory,” p. 226, http://blogs.enap.unam.mx/asignatura/adriana_raggi/wpcontent/upload/2013/12/Playing-with-Butler-and Foucault-and-Queer-Theory.pdf/ (accessed on June 1, 2015).

See also Hall, S., “Who needs ‘Identity’,” from du Gay P., Evans, J. and Redman, P (eds), Identity: A Reader, p. 17.

Butler, J., op. cit., p. 43.

Bhasin, K., Exploring Masculinity, p. 1–2.

Butler, J., Gender Trouble, p. 23.

Callis, A.S., “Playing with Butler and Foucault,” p. 227.

Butler, J., Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of ‘Sex’, p. 1.

Ibid.

Nanda, S., Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijra of India, 1999.

Bhasin, K., Exploring Masculinity, pp. 8, 61–62.

See Campbell, J. E., Getting It on Online: Cyberspace, Gay Male Sexuality, and Embodied Identity, 2004; See also Kozinets, R.V., Netnography: Doing Ethnographic Research Online, 2010.

See Miskolci, Richard, Machos and brothers, p. 1–10.

For privacy reasons anonymity of profile users has been maintained.

With respect to the sexual behavior, “bottoms” usually prefer “tops” and vice versa. Usually, a bottom gay man will not prefer to have sex with a bottom man or a top gay man will not prefer to have sex with a top. However, there are exceptions. For instance, there is another category of sexual behavior, viz., “versatile,” which means sexually one can be both top as well as bottom. In addition, some straight acting gay men do specifically look for bottom or feminine men or even cross-dressers or transgenders/hijras. For that matter, even two bottom gay men or two top gay men are sexually compatible with each other. I have come across diverse sexual tastes or preferences among gay men and hence there cannot be a single universal or uniform norm.

See Greenberg, D., op. cit., pp. 308–309.

See Miskolci, R., op. cit., p. 1–10.

See also Greenberg, D., op. cit., p. 464.

Bhasin, K., Exploring Masculinity, pp. 28–29.

Jeffrey R. and P.M. Jeffrey., “A Woman Belongs to Her Husband’ in Gender and Political Economy,” p. 133; see also Bhasin, K., op. cit.

http://blog.ipleaders.in/can-a-wife-file-a-case-for-unnatural-sexual-offences-against-the-husband-under-section-377-of-ipc/ (accessed on March 14, 2015); see also Section 377: Men worry about being framed by women, Swati Deshpande , TNN, Dec 17, 2013, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Section-377-Men-worry-about-being-framed-by-women/articleshow/27499941.cms (accessed on March 14, 2015).

Bhasin, K., op. cit., pp. 23–24.

See White, S.C., Men, Masculinities and the Politics of Development, 1997.

Humphreys proposes in Tearoom Trade: a study of homosexual encounters in public places the substitution of the technically more precise term “insertor” and” insertee” for “active” and “passive.” These terms are also not linked to gender.

Steinman, R., “Social Exchanges Between Older and Younger Gay Male Partners,” pp. 179–206; see Lee, J., Through the Looking Glass: Life after Isherwood – a Conversation with Don Bachardy, pp. 33–63; Harry, J., “Decision Making and Age Differences among Gay Male Couples,” pp. 9–21.

This role play has its origin in the eighteenth century where masters took advantage of their servants, sometimes male as well as female, and teachers developed sexual relations with their students. See Clark, A., Desire: A History of European Sexuality, pp. 1–40.

Foucault’s interview on “Sex, Power, and the Politics of Identity,” op. cit. p. 165, see https://schwarzemilch.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/foucault-sex-power-and-the-politics-of-identity.pdf (accessed on June 2, 2015).

Ibid., p. 166.

Bhasin, K., op. cit., pp. 28–29.

Oakley, A., Sex, Gender and Society, pp. 99–100.

Harry, J., “Decision Making and Age Differences among Gay Male Couples,” pp. 9–21.

Ibid.; See also Steinman, R., “Social Exchanges between Older and Younger Gay Male Partners,” pp. 179–206; Lee, J., Through the Looking Glass: Life after Isherwood – a Conversation with Don Bachardy, pp. 33–63.

Bear is a gay slang term. It describes a larger, hairier man who projects an image of rugged masculinity. Bear men have events, codes and specific identity among the LGBT communities.

Wright, L., The Bear Book – Readings in the History and Evolution of a Gay Male Subculture, 1997.

Waechter, N., “The Experienced World of Young Gay Men Who Are Attracted To Older Men. A Phenomenological Study,” 1999.

See Foucault’s interview on “Sex, Power, and the Politics of Identity,” op. cit.

Ibid.

Betel leaf seller.

Conversation with interlocutor, April, 17, 2014.

Foucault’s interview on “Sex, Power, and the Politics of Identity,” op. cit., p. 163.

Ibid., pp. 167–168.

Bhasin, K., op. cit., pp. 22–23.

Foucault’s interview on “Sex, Power, and the Politics of Identity,” op. cit.

Foucault, M., History of Sexuality, pp. 81–85.

Ibid.

Bhasin, K., Exploring Masculinity, p. 25.

Ibid., p. 24–25.

Mahajan, V.D., Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, p. 625.

Ehrlich, E., Fundamental Principles of the Sociology of Law, pp. 16–17, 24, 133, 136.

Mahajan, V.D., Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, p. 626.

Ehrlich, E., Fundamental Principles of the Sociology of Law, p. 26.

Hertogh, M., Living Law: Reconsidering Eugen Ehrlich, p. 89.

Ziegert, K.A., The Sociology behind Eugen Ehrlich’s Sociology of Law, p. 114.

Banakar, R., “Sociological Jurisprudence,” in Banakar, R., & Travers, M., (ed.), An Introduction to Law and Social Theory, pp. 33 and 44.

Mahajan, V.D., Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, p. 626; see also Dias, R.W.M., Jurisprudence, pp. 425–427.

100

Ibid.

101

Dowry is a transfer of parental property at the marriage of a daughter.

102

Practice of burning of the Hindu widow.

103

Devadasi system was a religious practice in parts of south India whereby parents marry a daughter to a deity or a temple which dedicated girls to a life of sex work in the name of religion.

104

S. Khushboo v. Kanniammal AIR 2010 SC 3196.

105

Mahajan, V.D., Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, p. 626.

106

Ibid., p. 627–628.

107

Mahajan, V.D., op. cit., p. 628.

108

Dr. Friedmann, Lord Lloyd, R.W.M. Dias and V.D. Mahajan.

109

Mahajan, V.D., p. 628.

110

Ibid.

111

AIR 1983 SC 473: (1983) 2 SCC 278.

112

AIR 1993 SC 2086.

113

AIR 1983 SC 1473.

114

Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, (2013) 12 SCC 73 Judgment delivered on 24 March 2015, see http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/FileServer/2015-03-24_1427183283.pdf (accessed on May 28, 2015).

115

Bodenheimer, E., Jurisprudence: The philosophy and method of the Law, pp. 221–222.

116

Ibid., p. 222.

117

Bodenheimer, E., op. cit., p. 224.

118

Ibid., fn. 4, p. 223.

119

Cited in Mahajan, V.D., Jurisprudence and Legal Theory, p. 629; Friedmann, W. Law in the Changing Society, Stevens and Sons Ltd., 1959; Friedmann, W. Legal Theory, Fifth Edition, Stevens and Sons Ltd., 1967.

120

Friedmann is quoted by Mahajan, V.D., op. cit., p. 629.

121

Mikhail, A. The Legal Conceptions of Hans Kelsen and Eugen Ehrlich: Weighing Human Rights and Sovereignty (January 18, 2016). Higher School of Economics Research Paper No. WP BRP 62/LAW/2016, p. 27. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2717494 (accessed on July 9, 2016).

122

Ibid, pp. 11, 19, 20.

123

Mikhail, A. “In the Quest of Global Legal Pluralism.” In: Positivität, Normativität und Institutionalität des Rechts. Festschrift für Werner Krawietz zum 80. Geburtstag. Berlin, 2013, p. 15–30.

124

Mikhail, A. The Legal Conceptions of Hans Kelsen and Eugen Ehrlich: Weighing Human Rights and Sovereignty, p. 24.

125

Kapoor, S.K., International Law and Human Rights, p. 102.

126

Nelken, D., Law in action or living law? Back to the beginning in sociology of law, pp. 157, 173.

127

Dias, R.W.M., Jurisprudence, p. 424.

128

Dias, R.W.M., op. cit., p. 627.

129

Butler, J., Is Kinship Always Already Heterosexual?, p. 14–16; see also Schneider, D., A Critique of the Study of Kinship, 1984.

130

Aurobindo, G., Social and Political Thought: The human cycle, the ideal of human unity, war and self-determination, p. 63.

131

Aurobindo, G., op. cit., p. 53–54.

132

Navjata, “Next future,” p. 37.

133

Butler, J., Is Kinship Always Already Heterosexual? pp. 16–17.

134

Ibid., p. 21.

135

Lloyd, D., Introduction to Jurisprudence, pp. 184.

136

Aurobindo, G., Social and Political Thought: The human cycle, the ideal of human unity, war and self-determination, pp. 180–193.

Title: Law Beyond the Law
Author: Yeshwant Naik
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Book: Homosexuality in the Jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of India
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-55434-1

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-55435-8

Copyright Year: 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55435-8_6

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Premium Partner