Now Reading: LGBTQIA+ community faces widespread harassment in Arunachal survey
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LGBTQIA+ community faces widespread harassment in Arunachal survey
A new survey by the Itanagar-based HimKai Research Institute (HRI) has found that LGBTQIA+ individuals in Arunachal Pradesh face widespread harassment and discrimination. Among 61 respondents, 91.8% reported verbal harassment, 52.5% faced…
The Story in Brief
A new survey by the Itanagar-based HimKai Research Institute (HRI) has found that LGBTQIA+ individuals in Arunachal Pradesh face widespread harassment and discrimination. Among 61 respondents, 91.8% reported verbal harassment, 52.5% faced physical threats or violence, and 49.2% hid their identity most of the time due to fear. The anonymous online survey conducted between June and August 2024 also revealed that 63.3% disagreed that laws adequately protect them, and 66.7% doubted police sensitivity. The sample was predominantly young, with 90.2% aged 18 to 35.
The survey highlighted mental health distress among 76.7% of respondents, with access to support uneven. Religious and cultural acceptance was low: 72.1% disagreed that faith practices are accepting, and 51.7% felt no sense of societal belonging. However, 75% said healthcare providers treated them with respect. HRI director Ranju Dodum called the study a baseline for locally grounded evidence, recommending sensitisation programmes and confidential reporting mechanisms.
The Indian Opinion
The HRI survey shows that LGBTQIA+ rights in India's northeast cannot be read off national headlines. Arunachal's tribal and religious contexts create specific pressures, with 72% feeling rejected by faith and over half by cultural traditions. Yet media narratives often flatten this as uniform 'intolerance'. The real test is whether the state's institutions, police, schools, clinics, act on these findings. The 61-respondent sample is small, but the patterns are too stark to dismiss. Will the Arunachal government commission a larger study and act on it? That will settle whether this is ignored or addressed.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
