On the heels of the landmark Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Manil Suri, Mathematics, spoke out on what it means for the culture in India and the rest of the world.
A June 30 opinion piece by Suri in the New York Times examined the future of gay rights in India. “America is not the first to propose an alternative precept, reversing centuries of such discrimination,” writes Suri. “But it has worked hard to project its image of supporting freedom, and its voice will carry the strongest. DOMA’s repudiation will burnish this image, and the effects will be felt by sexual minorities growing up alone and in despair all over the globe.”
Suri also spoke to BBC’s “The World” about the ruling. “I think what’s going to happen is that this decision will carry a lot of moral weight with other countries,” Suri said. “I’m hoping that maybe the Supreme Court of India will think about this before they hand down their decision [on anti-sodomy laws].”
In his recent piece in Granta magazine, How to be Gay and Indian, Suri shared his personal experiences with sexuality at a time when India is dealing with changes in its views on discrimination.
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