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| + WOMEN & GAY TRAVELERS |
India, can be a place like you have never seen or experienced before. Even though on one hand it brings about a new experience it also carries with it, situations and scenario that one has never come across before, especially if you have been living in the western or developed countries. In this section
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we will go over some cultural tips that will help you to enjoy your trip and understand the socio-economic aspects of the country better .This section not only introduces you to some of the things that will equip you to deal with these new situations better but will also provide you with better insights into the ‘acceptable norms’ in India.
- India is widely known as the land of “Kamasutra” , even though sex is still largely considered a taboo in the country. Very rarely you will see couples walking hand-in-hand with their spouses in public . However do not be surprised by the unusual camaraderie between men, including holding hands or hugging in public. It is accepted norm for men to be doing that in public. These are largely heterosexual men and not ‘gay’ as you might perceive them to be.
- A thing to remember is that public display of affection between ‘heterosexual couples’ is not taken very well in India. This might seem hypocritical considering that various parks in the big cities might be viewed as a place thronged by couples displaying affection in public. This mainly seems to be due to two reasons. The first being the unacceptance of sexual relationship between a man and a woman, and secondly the fact that there are limited avenues for privacy for these couples. A walk in a public park will give you a good idea of this anomaly when compared to western cultures.
- Unlike what other western countries seem to consider basic, you cannot take things for granted in India. It is for this very reason we would say that it is not very prudent for women to go out all alone during the night the on streets by themselves. It is prudent to be either accompanied by male company or traveling through reliable sources to ensure safety at all times. of course cities like Bombay (Mumbai) or Goa can be considered safe.
- Women traveling to India should resist from too much skin show of
course things are relative and it is not as bad as most Muslim countries. However it is advised not to wear bikini top, really skirts skits or any outrageously revealing clothes in public. Over exposure of skin will unnecessarily attract undue attention.
- Jeans, tank tops, skirts etc are pretty acceptable norms of dressing. You can always weigh your options if visiting a night club or going to an exclusive place.
Gay travelers should resist intimate situations in public. Also it is advisable to not get into any form of confrontation if you think someone is making fun of your mannerism. People in general are naïve and might not understand the underlying role of genetics in our sexual orientation. The common Indian word, mostly used for Gay men is “Chakka”. For some reason, ‘Lesbians’ is not a common phenomenon known to Indian masses.
- Another thing you might find in India is that people might ask you direct and personal questions. It is advisable to be discrete if you choose to. Of course once you are comfortable with your surroundings and the people you are hanging out with, that decision (about how much you want to reveal) gets much easier.
Lastly we want to point out for the convenience of gay tourists, that there may not be very many exclusive known ‘gay-bars’ or hang-out joints in India. These are generally underground and not much is known about them to general public.
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