Supreme court of India has announced the scrapping of section 377. Before this, the LGBT Community couldn't reveal their true identity in the corporate office spaces because they were treated as 'others'. I think that this decision by the court will pave a way to higher gender diversity because the people from this section would feel well-respected.
However, only this is not enough. I feel that a company should abolish the rules where it is necessary to fill marital status and gender in the application form. Some members of the LGBT community may not want to disclose such personal information as it can sometimes hamper their chances of getting selected. To judge a person's calibre properly, employers should be asked only the crucial questions and leave the others to the applicant's choice. If they are given enough respect and privacy, the LGBT community will actually come out with their true potential.
We need to sensitise the recruiting community in India. They need to come out of asking personal questions related to family, gender, marriage, kids etc. Does a sexual preference impact the work performance? Will commenting on someone's sexual preference can be a case under sexual harassment in India? or for that matter, will Indian corporate be open to bringing LGBT community under their diversity plans.. these are some of the things to be discussed in HR community.
IPC Section 377
Workplace for all
LGBTQ India
Ajay Sharma
Founder at "Get Me Experts" dot com
India,New Delhi
Having worked in various business domains including managing India and international work location, I can add value in terms of Business focused HR strategies & International Labour Laws, Gig Economy, Future of work, Expats Management.
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