Consider plea against certain content in textbooks of medicos, says Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court has directed the Undergraduate Medical Education Board, New Delhi, to consider the representations of two NGOs, working for the welfare of the LGBTQ community, against alleged queerphobic contents in medical textbooks.

The court, in its order dated September 7 which was made available on Wednesday, directed the Board to first obtain the remarks and views of the Kerala University of Health Sciences, Thrissur, on the representations made by the NGOs -- Queerythm and Disha -- before taking the final decision.

The court said the decision has to be taken within eight weeks from receiving the instant order.

The Kerala University of Health Sciences was asked to provide its remarks and views to the Board on the averments made in the petition of the NGOs as well as their representations without waiting for a copy of the court order.

The NGOs said discriminatory remarks and inhuman references made in the textbooks with regard to the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community.

They alleged that the content in the books stereotyped the community's sexual or gender identities as an offense, mental disorder, or perversion.

This, they contended, amounted to an infringement of their fundamental and constitutional rights that have been recognized even by the Supreme Court which has decriminalized homosexual sex between consenting adults.

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