The Indian town of Mehsana’s got a bit of queer problem: there are far more men than women. And, according to the Times of India, many of Mehsana’s sexually and socially frustrated men are taking to the boys:
The 2001 census ranked Mehsana as the district with the worst skewed sex ratio of just 801 women per 1000 men. The after effects are being seen now, with the north Gujarat town witnessing a marked increase in gay activity.
All thanks to the dearth of eligible brides because of rampant foeticide over the years. Trends show that many affluent Mehsana men in their 30s are now wining and dining gays from Ahmedabad.
…
“While homosexuality is increasing everywhere, in the case of Mehsana the skewed sex ratio could be fuelling this trend further,” says sociologist Gaurang Jani.
This spike in gay sex is, of course, being blamed for an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. Clever.
Meanwhile, we’re not sure we buy this “pragmatic gay” argument. It’s not like sexually frustrated homos start searching for snatch. Well, unless we’re really horny. And drunk.
Snoodle
Sort of a no-females-in-the-bird-flock scenario then…? Hmm..
Lena Dahlstrom
Actually it’s not that different than the documented upswing in lesbianism in Britain after WWI — which killed off something like a quarter of men within a particular age range.
Progression
Since this has been happening in Mehsana over many years, this could be seen as just nature’s way of evolving to accommodate the population skew. There was yesterday a story of how Tasmanian Devils, which are dying from an epedemic of cancer, have evolved in the span of a few years to start breeding as young as 1 year old.
GoodBuddy
So the Kinsey 3s, 4s, and 5s start hooking up with guys instead of marrying women.
CHURCHILL-Y
Wow Regression #3 Nazi psychology much? So we are the regulators of human population.
Your hypothesis can be completely obliterated by anyone who takes a look a those ancient Greek homoerotic vases.
Instead how about it being a case were in this new century people regardless of sexual orientation are becoming more intune of their feelings/desires and unlike in previous ages they act out on them.
This is nothing new in India, all those famous Maharajahs and Sultan’s and men of wealth though married had a male lover or many male lovers sometimes for life. People are just more aware of it these days.
Progression
Churchill-y #5, my comment was a quickie, but I am not a political scientist or historian, so I don’t see how it’s Nazi-ish. If you really saying that everyone’s sexual orientation is so fluid that we can make love to the one we’re with without any regard to gender, well, gay-for-pay proves you are right. It all depends on how you define sexual orientation. Many men will make love to a watermelon if paid enough.
I do agree that Indian society is extremely homophobic, and same sex relationships have been suppressed. In Mehsana, the extreme population skew may have made same-sex relations less objectionable.
I also agree that people should be more in-tune with their feelings if they are searching for a long-term mate (and not an overnight fling). They must also pay attention to what their senses tell them, not only sight, but smell, taste, etc. As one famous guru once said, “If you marry a woman who looks beautiful but smells bad, one of your senses will be constantly marrying her, but another will be constantly divorcing her, and there will be conflict.”
CHURCHILL-Y
My apologies Progression, I had you confused with someone else. I totally agree with your point last comment.
It just sounded to me like you were trying to imply that our orientation is the result of some evolutionary mutation/regulation.
Progression
“imply that our orientation is the result of some evolutionary mutation/regulation.”
I don’t like the word “mutation” but what is your objection to this idea of sexual orientation as a form of evolutionary regulation? There is some preliminary scientific evidence to back this up. For example, I read somewhere that the more older siblings a boy has, the more likely statistically he will turn out to be gay. Are you concerned that seeing sexual orientation were a form of evolutionary population control denigrates human sexuality somehow?
Willie Hewes
Progression, I don’t think biological evolution is at work here. For that to be the case, the women shortage would have had to exist in this population not for several years, but for several generations. I don’t think that’s the case here.
It’s also a bit strange to object to the word “mutation” if you’re discussing evolution. LOL.
Otherwise, please continue.
CHURCHILL-Y
Progression you’re kidding right? It opens a dangerous and untruthful Pandora’s box. It’s bad enough as it is that the bigots use quotes in religious books to undermine our achievements and to discriminate against us through laws and social acceptance and if garbage like the one you cited starts to gain some ground on the conscience of people another layer of crap to use against us would have been added, this time being a “scientific” one. The science you quote cannot be used to identify or point out the cause for our sexuality because we are as diverse in our backgrounds and experiences as any other group.
But most importantly seeing our sexual orientation as some form of evolutionary mutation or regulatory process can be used to further keep us from say advancing and gaining accessibility for example in reproductive aid because our detractors could use that pseudo-scientific argument and say that we were not meant to reproduce in the first place. Our sole existence would be reduced to the caring of our elderly parents, our siblings children etc. Never being allowed to have a family of our own. And that’s why I equated your comment to Nazi psychology because although perhaps well intention on your part you must remember that we are a minority group and that such school of thought would end up being used to control and further suppress us once the religious arguments no longer work.
Darth Paul
Gay shame in desi lands is a direct result of Anglican homophobia imposed by British colonialism.
The staunch tradition over there actually (as we’re seeing) fuels gay sex. I can only hope they ease up on the post-colonial BS before really ugly sh!t rears its head.
CHURCHILL-Y
“before really ugly sh!t rears its head.”
“You mean like in Africa and the black populated Caribbean?
Here we go again blame it all on the British.
Dark Paul pick up a book or better yet go to wikipedia and look up the history of India and its RELIGION and how much it was/wasn’t influenced/changed by the Brits. Lame ass argument of blaming all the throwback homophobia on these backward places in getting OLD.
Progression
“seeing our sexual orientation as some form of evolutionary mutation or regulatory process can be used to further keep us from say advancing and gaining accessibility for example in reproductive aid….”
Churchill-y, I understand your argument and agree that it could be used against us with respect to access to reproductive aid, but the Pandora’s Box has already been opened. This is not the first time this theory has been raised. LGBTs can have families though adoption and biologically, even without any institutional reproductive aid. Once there is a fetus, even fundies would have to provide neo-natal care if the fetus would otherwise be endangered, because that would violate fundie belief in the sanctity of all human life.
This theory of evolutionary regulation (if there is more evidence to support it) can be seen in a positive light as well. It would add to the evidence that homosexuality is indeed “natural” and not some sinful habit picked up from a debauched civilization. It would also mean that homosexuality has a natural purpose – the conservation of the world. It doesn’t have to mean that LGBT couples shouldn’t have biological children. There are always variances in evolutionary developments. In any case, once Pandora’s Box is opened, it must be dealt with.
todd
Isn’t that what happened in Manhattan in the 1970s?
Michell
Didn’t Usher say something to this effect about why lesbians exist? What a tool.
DEVIL INCARNATE
India’s original culture was very tolerant of non-mainstream sexuality. When the Britishers came, they were extremely shocked to see liberal attitudes towards homosexuality amongst Indians. They then imposed their law based on their Victorian morality, which closed the discussion on homosexuality and made Indians forget their own tolerant culture. Quite strangely, they have themselves become open minded now, whereas the Indians are only slowly waking up to it.
nemean_lion
Its a big problem in mehsana.i’m in mehsana for some time now, though not a local of mehsana.its queer,really.i have myself seen all that happen,sadly.its not safe for anyone.