High prevalence of sexual violence against gay, bisexual men across six cities: study

• Research conducted by four academicians sheds light on the prevalence of violence against gay and bisexual men across six cities. About 44% of the men sampled in Delhi.

Highlights:

• A study by academicians Suraj Pal, Praveen Kumar Pathak, Margubur Rahaman, and Niharika Tripathi sheds light on the prevalence of violence against gay and bisexual men in six Indian metropolitan cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow.

High Prevalence of Violence:

• Delhi: 44% of Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) reported facing sexual violence, the highest among the six cities.
• Kolkata: 80% reported experiencing violence of any kind, including verbal, physical, or sexual violence.
• Overall Trends: Across all six cities, 78.7% of gay men and 44% of bisexual men faced some form of violence.

Vulnerable Demographics:

• Men aged 18–24 reported the highest levels of violence.
• Those open about their sexuality in public were five times more likely to face violence.
• MSM from marginalised communities (e.g., OBC, SC/ST) and low-income families were disproportionately affected.
• Religious disparities were noted: Muslim respondents were 2.6 times more likely to experience sexual violence compared to Hindu respondents.

City-Specific Observations:

• Delhi:
  • Highest prevalence of sexual violence (44%).
• Kolkata:
  • Highest prevalence of verbal and physical violence.
• Mumbai:
  • 58% of MSM reported violence; second-highest sexual violence rate (32%).

Legal and Social Challenges

Lack of Legal Provisions in BNS:

• The newly introduced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has no section addressing the rape of men or transgender individuals.
• This is a significant gap compared to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which included provisions for male and transgender rape under Section 377.

Impact of the BNS:

• Lawyer Anas Tanwir pointed out that under BNS, men cannot legally report rape. Grievous hurt provisions remain, but they are inadequate for addressing sexual violence.
• Academic Insights

Educational and Economic Factors:

• Lower education and income levels were strongly linked to increased instances of violence.
• High-income respondents were 83% less likely to experience violence.
• Call for Progress:
• JNU professor Praveen K. Pathak emphasized the need for legal provisions for male rape survivors, highlighting ongoing advocacy and legislative efforts.

Prelims Takeaways

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)