What does it mean to be a gay doctor in India?

Dr Sahil Kumar Nautiyal says that being gay and a doctor are both important parts of his identity, along with many other facets

From the 1950s, when Evelyn Hooker proved scientifically that homosexuality was not a mental illness, to now, with its decriminalisation in several countries, the LGBTQ community still faces stiff opposition from family, in society, and at the workplace. But it continues to fight for its rights — this time to legalise same-sex marriage. Today, on May 17, the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Dr Sahil Kumar Nautiyal, Senior Resident, Department of Pharmacology, Maulana Azad Medical College, talks about the implications of being a doctor who is gay. Also, the need to legalise same-sex marriage, and ways to help medical professionals towards more LGBTQ-friendly practices. He says he has never faced any discrimination in his current college, but in the past, he has seen passive-aggressive behaviour from men. “Being both gay and a medical doctor, I can medically say that being gay perfectly aligns with a state of physical and mental well-being,” he says.