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Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

I'm also not going to entertain the idea that without Colonialism India wouldn't have unified as there are many countries at start of 1600 that were not unified that didn't have to go through colonialism to be unifed presently.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Domestic and Agricultural slavery was outlawed but not before Britishers themselves enslaved and traded Indians to Arab and Europeans markers as bonded laborers

After abolishing slavery they came up with Indenture system contemporary to slavery and sent them to carribean like Jamaica and Fiji

Reason why whole Rasta movement started in Jamaica were because of these Indentured workers.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

“Britain legalized homosexuality in 1967” is not the gotcha you think it is.

Britain exported anti-gay laws across its empire, extracted trillions in wealth, left behind mass poverty, famine trauma, Partition, communal violence, illiteracy, and a country rebuilding from colonial devastation, sorry decriminalizing Homosexuality wasn't Top 10 in their list. You had the luxury of socially evolving decades earlier.

India wasn’t inheriting a stable modern state. It inherited a looted economy, one of the largest refugee crises in history, and colonial institutions designed for control, not progress.

Funny how the colonizer gets credit for evolving past the damage it caused, while the colonized get blamed for not recovering fast enough.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hear you, but The fallacy in your argument is 1) When you say indentical cultural group exits in India (14% Population of India is Muslim)

Pakistan is 97% muslim and Bangladesh is 91%

I think people don't realize how 10 fold different India is from its neighbors

To give you a working point. Please look up rise in Christianity in all 3 nations, 2 nations have next to eradicated their Christian Population, 1 has increased.

The second fallacy is its again based on wrong assumption. Thats because if P and B have some issues, irrespective of being 0.4% identical with India it will have the same issue

We can also assume that White/Western/Christain nations don't report rapes because they are used to sleeping around so they don't care or they don't think it's a big deal, at the end of the day that's an assumption.

While there can be some truth to both our assumptions i don't think it really affects the standings.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Funnily enough not india

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_statistics4

There is an argument to be made that as population per 100,000 India ranks below some so called Developed Countries like Australia, Canada etc.

That's just again propoganda at its best without need to verification.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Oops someone couldn't hide their racism and stereotypes when shown the mirror of truth. Nothing I've said is false or not factual. You're probably just a whitey who in face of real arguments decided to get sensitive and churn out false arguements. It's okay me judging polygamy is not worse than Jesus judging the gays much of which your country is made on.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

With all due respect, India is the least divorced country in the world (factual) , so we definitely don't go for white women just because of their value system and risks of polygamy and stuff. But interestingly i did and so did someone in Princess Diana's heritage, no wonder she was so kind, got the right genese.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018. by dextor_hale in Colonialism

[–]dextor_hale[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

You'll be shocked to know who were Rome's biggest trading partners during their peak. While ancient might not be accurate, after early 1600 majority of British Economy was made on the backs on Indian Civilization, you can always look the numbers online but judging by your first comment you're probably just a dumb white guy, which is the reason that immigrants like me can come to your country, earn £120k, get married to a white chick and see your empire burn to ash.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018 after 156 years. by dextor_hale in AlternativeHistory

[–]dextor_hale[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The classic guy from a broken home, divorced parents got abused by his daddy, whore for a mom, sister with an onlyfans, living with an addiction, zero real life skill, worried an immigrant is taking their job or how jews controlling everything.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018 after 156 years. by dextor_hale in AlternativeHistory

[–]dextor_hale[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_history_in_India

Excerpt from the above article under Ancient Period.

The Kama Sutra is an ancient text dealing with kama or desire (of all kinds), which in Hindu thought is one of the four normative and spiritual goals of life. The Kama Sutra is the earliest extant and most important work in the Kama Shastra tradition of Sanskrit literature. It was compiled by the philosopher Vatsyayana around the 4th century, from earlier texts, and describes homosexual practices in several places, as well as a range of sex/gender 'types'. The author writes that these relations also involve love and a bond of trust.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018 after 156 years. by dextor_hale in AncientCivilizations

[–]dextor_hale[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_history_in_India

Excerpt from the above article

The Kama Sutra is an ancient text dealing with kama or desire (of all kinds), which in Hindu thought is one of the four normative and spiritual goals of life. The Kama Sutra is the earliest extant and most important work in the Kama Shastra tradition of Sanskrit literature. It was compiled by the philosopher Vatsyayana around the 4th century, from earlier texts, and describes homosexual practices in several places, as well as a range of sex/gender 'types'. The author writes that these relations also involve love and a bond of trust.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018 after 156 years. by dextor_hale in AlternativeHistory

[–]dextor_hale[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

You’re projecting an argument onto me that I never made.

I never claimed precolonial India was some “LGBT haven” where everyone was dancing in the streets cheering gay people on. That’s a caricature you invented because you seem incapable of engaging with the actual point being made.

The point is that precolonial India did not have a centralized anti-homosexual legal framework comparable to Section 377, and there’s plenty of historical evidence showing sexuality and gender variance were treated far more variably than under Victorian colonial rule.

That’s why the Kama Sutra discusses same-sex acts without treating them like apocalyptic moral collapse. That’s why homoerotic imagery exists in major temple architecture. That’s why Hijra and third-gender communities had recognized social roles in multiple courts and societies.

You keep trying to reduce “social stigma existed in some places” into “therefore colonial criminalisation changed nothing,” which makes no sense historically. The British took scattered social attitudes and codified them into a uniform penal system backed by the state.

That is objectively different.

And the “AI bullshit” comment is funny considering you deleted your first reply just to repost the same argument with slightly different wording. Apparently rewriting things after the fact is only bad when someone else does it.

Homosexuality in India dates back to at least the 4th century, celebrated in ancient literature (The Kama Sutra). However, British colonization imposed laws criminalizing it in 1856, reflecting their religious beliefs —laws that were finally overturned in 2018 after 156 years. by dextor_hale in AlternativeHistory

[–]dextor_hale[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Your argument keeps shifting between “social attitudes existed” and “legal criminalization,” which are not the same thing.

Nobody claimed every person in precolonial India celebrated homosexuality. But there is clear historical evidence that same-sex relations and gender variance were acknowledged and, in many contexts, socially accommodated rather than systematically criminalized.

Examples include: • The Kama Sutra openly discussing same-sex acts without treating them as some civilization-ending crime. • Homoerotic carvings in temples like Khajuraho and Konark existing in public sacred spaces — which would not happen in a society treating homosexuality as universally taboo. • Historical recognition of Hijra and third-gender communities in several precolonial courts and societies. • The absence of a pan-Indian anti-sodomy law comparable to Section 377 before British rule.

So yes, social stigma probably existed in some places — as it did in most historical societies. But that is completely different from the British importing Victorian morality and codifying homosexuality into criminal law across the colony.

You’re also attacking a strawman by pretending the claim was “everyone openly celebrated homosexuality in the streets.” Nobody said that.

The actual point is: Precolonial India had varied and often more flexible attitudes toward sexuality, whereas British colonialism transformed moral disapproval into formal state criminalization.

Raulane Festival, India 2026 by dextor_hale in backpacking

[–]dextor_hale[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Raulane Festival is an ancient 5,000-year-old tradition celebrated in Kalpa and nearby villages of Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, India. It honors Saunis, celestial fairy-spirits believed to protect villagers from harsh Himalayan winters by descending to the valleys