Ten students in Kolkata, India have reportedly been forced to sign a letter stating that they're lesbians - a punishment handed down by their acting headmistress, Sikha Sarka, following complaints regarding the girls' "intense friendships".
The girls were then instructed to take a copy of the letter home and present it to their parents or guardians.
“We called those students and they admitted it,” said acting headmistress Sarkar.
She continued: “Considering the sensitive nature of the issue, I asked them to admit it in writing. I have got written admissions from all 10 students."
“Today we called the guardians to apprise them of the issue. Our aim was to discuss the matter with them so that we can bring these girls on the right course through efforts both at home and in school,” she added.
Members of the LGBTIQ+ community face an uphill battle in India. Source: Hindustan Times
“What happened with those girls is abhorrent,” a spokesperson for Sappho for Equality, a local LGBTIQ+ organisation, said to the Indian Express.
They continued: “Not only were they singled out on the basis of a few complaints, which could very well have been pranks, I don’t understand what purpose did the whole exercise serve? Are students in co-ed schools asked to write a confession about their heterosexuality when they are seen spending time together?”
Homophobia remains prevalent in India, with Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code making consensual gay sex punishable by law.
