It is not the case that only Muslims or Christians would consider it as unnatural. Are Hindu, Sikh and other religious groups ready to accept it as natural? For, genuinely legalising it would mean granting them many other rights, including that of marriage and of raising a family. And here lies the basic problem.

Let me clarify further that, not just the mainstream churches, but all religions and society in general accept the fact that the fundamental entity of society is the family, based on marriage between a man and a woman and where a child is nurtured in a natural environment to further God’s beautiful creation. The Creator has ordained it so that a child is the fruit of union between a man and a woman. This is the natural law of things; however much society progresses, or believes itself to be liberated from archaic laws, it cannot change this fundamental fact. And one does not even need to go to the Bible or the Koran or the Gita or the Veda-Puran to substantiate this reality of nature. Having same-sex relationship does not serve this God-given purpose of procreation.

Thus what the religious groups need to distinguish between is decriminalisation of homosexuality and granting it legal benefits. The former will help us extend our compassionate understanding towards this group of people rather than condemning it or rejecting it. Cases are known of people changing their unnatural behaviour through counselling. And, of course, men living in prisons or boarding schools or even serving in the army develop such behaviour temporarily but then are back on track to natural relationships.

... contd.