Shocking Study Exposes Sexual, Physical, and Verbal Violence Against MSMs in India: A Deeper Look into the Lived Experiences of Queer Men
A recent pan-India study has thrown into the public domain the alarming levels of violence against men who have sex with men in India. Titled Men at Risk: Correlates of Verbal, Physical, and Sexual Violence Against MSM Across Selected Cities in India, it paints a disturbing picture regarding the challenges that queer men face, as "high levels of sexual, physical, and verbal violence" revealed as findings.
According to the report carried out on 300 MSM, sexual violence was reported by 37.4%, physical abuse by 45.5%, and verbal violence by 80%. The survey, conducted in collaboration with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, brings out the fact that Kolkata topped with the maximum rates of both verbal violence (72%) and physical violence (46%), while Delhi topped the list for sexual violence with 44% respondents reporting sexual assault incidents.
The research also revealed that of the young MSM persons, the most vulnerable were within the 18-24 years age bracket. In fact, this age group accounted for a massive 81.8% of sexual violence victims, indicating that much more is at stake with younger queer men.
Survivor Testimonies: Stories of Surviving Harrowing Experiences
Such violations, as can be gathered from the testimonies given by the MSM individuals in the study, have brutal elements to them. Jay is a 25-year-old from Mumbai who narrated how he was sexually assaulted and derided by his seniors during school: "A senior raped me, and one of them taunted it was 'mutual,'" Jay recalled, explaining how the sexual assault had turned into physical attacks on him. The case is sadly all too common for most MSM individuals in India.
There is also the case of 18-year-old Aarav from Mumbai, whose story describes a violent conflict. Dressed extravagantly after a night out, Aarav was slapped by some men who also assaulted his siblings. Even though the physical abuse was experienced, Aarav, like most in MSM, did not report the incident to the police because further victimization was an experience that no one wanted.
Fighting Violence and Seeking Justice
Most MSM do not report violence for fear of being exploited more, according to human rights lawyer Rohin Bhatt. "Victims often fear that seeking help from the authorities may lead to additional harm or discrimination," Bhatt explained. The study pointed out that incidents of police abuse and violence in custody were common, which further discourages MSM individuals from approaching law enforcement.
This study further showed that MSM operated in the pink-collar sector, largely caregiving or service-related. This way, an extremely vulnerable group to verbal attacks of 88.2% was recorded. However, 50% of them also recorded sexual violence where elements of economic vulnerability overlapped with increased risks of violence.
Economic Divide and the Insecurity of MSM
Moving forward, the study also revealed a comparative sharp division that explains the experiences with violence in terms of income levels. 85% of the MSM respondents came from lower-income families, where they experienced violence compared to 43.4%, which was comprised of MSM coming from higher-income groups. These demonstrate the compounded vulnerabilities confronted by marginalized MSM individuals.
India requires systemic transformation in addressing the violence and a situation in which laws still exist but the gap between policy and action is extremely wide. Again, the findings suggest that a safe space, education, and legal protection that MSM individuals are purported to enjoy do protect one against violence. Society, legislative bodies, and police should take an interest in ensuring the safety of LGBTQ persons and reject discrimination that feeds violence.
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