Homosexuality in Sri Lanka
The ruling governments have repeatedly stated that they wish to decriminalise homosexual intercourse, but have faced opposition from vocal lawmakers in parliament and the cabinet.
The CEDAW also urged that I be protected from gender-based violence, allowed participation in public and political life, and entitled to equality before the law and family rights.”[12] Religious organisations have taken various stances on the topic of homosexuality.
[17] A literary novel about homosexual sex in the clergy, who are expected to be celibate, caused controversy leading to the arrest of the novelist on religious hatred laws.
[20] There were no legal restrictions on homosexuality or transsexuality for the general population of the island prior to early modern period and colonialism, however certain dharmic moral codes forbade sexual misconduct (of both heterosexual and homosexual nature) among the upper class of priests and monks, and religious codes of foreign religions such as Christianity and Islam imposed homophobic rules on their populations.
[27] In the 21st century following independence, there has been a significant amount of progress made on liberalizing LGBTQ laws and reversing the legal homophobia and transphobia of the previous colonial era.
The redacted version that is widely used now was written in the 6th century A.D.[28][29] According to the Australian Humanities Review, the Pali Canon contains examples of male homosexuality.
[23][31] The Upāsakajanalankara, a guide for lay people written in the 14th century of the Christian calendar, discusses sexual misconduct in depth but makes no mention of homosexual sex.
[32] Ground Views shares the opinion that Sri Lanka without colonial influences would have probably held a similar culture to that of Thailand.
[23] Englishman John Knox, who by this time had lived in the country for twenty years and spoke fluent Sinhala, wrote about the King of Kandy; “Most of his Attendants are Boyes, and Young Men, that are well favoured, and of good Parentage.
For the supplying himself with these, he gives order to his Dissava’s or Governors of the countreys to pick and choose out Boyes, that are comely and of good Descent, and send them to the Court.
[23] The ethnic conflict on the island is often cited as a major reason why legal rights for sexual minorities did not progress with the same speed as other countries.
[36] The European Union has recently proposed to use its elevated trade deal negotiations to ensure that human rights on the island would be protected.
[37] In November 2016, Sri Lanka voted against a plan to get rid of the UN Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity at the United Nations General Assembly.
[40] But in November, Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle stated that the government would move to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity.
[42] The tourism industry in Sri Lanka caters for gay wedding ceremonies aimed at tourists, although this is still legally not recognised by the government, and exposure remains limited.
[47] Due to cultural values in western societies that ascribe the personality of the male gandharva as "feminine", some commentators have introduced the concept into LGBTQ circles, though there is no inclination that these were viewed as homosexual at the time.
None of those surveys had issues with dating someone from the opposite ethnolinguistic group, either Tamil or Sinhalese, but apart from one person, the majority expressed dislike for Muslims (including Moors) and did not like them as friends or sexual partners.
According to the report by UCLA, "Despite evidence suggesting that sexual abuse of boys is common in the context of sex tourism, schools, care homes, religious establishments and other similar settings in Sri Lanka, and that male-on-male sexual violence outside such settings is also not uncommon, there is unwillingness to acknowledge the problem or the enormous shame and stigma associated with it, and a tendency to ignore or ridicule complainants.
The CARE International study also found that sexual abuse of boys occurred in schools and universities in the context of “ragging” (verbal, physical or emotional abuse of newcomers to education institutions), and that three per cent of male respondents reported having been forced to have “sex or physical relations” with a community leader or schoolboy before the age of 18 years.
[56] Since the colonial period, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights have remained static, and homosexuality is outlawed in Sri Lanka.
Although male-to-male sexual contact has been shown to be frequent, with over two-thirds of males reporting having participated in this kind of sexual behaviour at some point in their lives, almost all gay men attempt to lead normal heterosexual lives due to constant pressure from society and the inability of most in society to understand the scientific explanation of homosexuality.
[68] Throughout Sri Lanka's new millennium, LGBTIQ organizations have encountered roadblocks as a result of ethno-nationalist politics and government-backed, homophobic reportage in the news media.
[70] Bollywood cinema, which is immensely popular in Sri Lanka, is well known for portraying homosexuality in a bad light on a majority of occasions.
This has resulted in many Sri Lankan movies and teledramas including gay men simply as comic elements in their work.
Aside from political, legal, and communal initiatives, various films on homosexuality and transgender identity have been created in the twenty-first century, which examine LGBTIQ topics from a cinematic perspective, among other things.
[73] "Frangipani," directed by Visakesa Chandrasekaram which is also known as "Sayapethi Kusuma" in the local tongue, is a 2013 film that portrays homosexuality as a humanized problem.
Apart from "ponsi", "samanalaya" (butterfly), and "nangi-malli" (translated to sister-like-brother) are some of the other Sinhala terms used to degrade and discriminate against gay men in Sri Lanka.
This occurs against a backdrop of alienation related to society's limited tolerance of social diversity and the perceived burdens felt by these minority groups as a result of their sexual identity.
[77] Given the societal prejudice that gay people endure in Sri Lanka, it is extremely probable that they face a greater degree of psychological distress and suicidal tendencies.
[78] Furthermore, homophobia is widespread, and families may disavow and expel gays, leading to greater estrangement from society, and they may commit suicide as a result of terrible anguish.
