VOA标准英语2013--India’s Gay Community Fights for Acceptance, Equality
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2013年(四月)
India’s Gay Community Fights for Acceptance, Equality
As a gay man in India, life has not been easy for Kiran. He left his home in the Andaman Islands and came to New Delhi two years ago, after years of ridicule 1 from teachers, students and members of his own family.
The discrimination and feeling of being an outcast was not limited to his personal life. “When my employer found out that I am homosexual, they fired me from my job - saying you look and act gay and we can’t keep you here,” Kiran said.
Kiran found work, hope and support at the Naz Foundation, a non-governmental organization working with people who have HIV and AIDS.
Anjali Gopalan founded the group in 1994 to work with men whom she says had no gay identity and were getting married to women to conform to societal norms.
“To me, it became very clear the impact on the lives of women and children. It took on a great urgency. I believe people who don’t value themselves will not protect themselves from HIV,” Gopalan said.
She decided 2 to focus her efforts on repealing 3 the law criminalizing homosexual sex after speaking with a 20-year old who underwent shock therapy at a major Delhi hospital in order to “become straight.”
The nearly decade-long effort paid off with the Delhi High Court declaring the law unconstitutional in 2009. Gopalan says the ruling has tremendous impact.
“No longer could we as a culture, sweep homosexuality under the carpet by saying ‘oh, it’s a Western phenomenon, it doesn’t impact us, it doesn’t exist in India and the little bit that exists is because of the West, it’s not an Indian thing,” Gopalan said.
Lawyer and gay rights activist 4 Aditya Bondyopadhyay agrees. He says the ruling means police are less likely to harass 5 gay men in public parks -- but more importantly - that homosexuals are less afraid of coming out.
“What has happened since the judgment 6 is that enormous, exuberant 7 force of people have become unleashed 8, it’s like the genie 9 getting out of the bottle and can not be put back again. People have certainly tasted that liberty, so you have film festivals, even small towns that never dreamt of having gay pride parades are having them,” Bondyopadhyay said.
Still, gay rights activists 10 say the fight is far from over.
Conservative groups are challenging the ruling that decriminalized homosexual sex in the Indian Supreme 11 Court. Until that issue is settled, activists say they cannot press for same-sex marriage and other rights.
- You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
- Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
- In addition, repealing the alternative minimum tax would also help. 此外，废除替代性最低税也会有所帮助。
- Repealing the investment tax credit. 取消投资税款扣除。
- He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
- He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。
- Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
- They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。
- The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
- He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
- Hothouse plants do not possess exuberant vitality.在温室里培养出来的东西，不会有强大的生命力。
- All those mother trees in the garden are exuberant.果园里的那些母树都长得十分茂盛。
- The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
- The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Now the genie of his darkest and weakest side was speaking.他心灵中最阴暗最软弱的部分有一个精灵在说话。
- He had to turn to the Genie of the Ring for help.他不得不向戒指神求助。
- His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
- Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》