Somokamita: সমকামিতা

by Avijit Roy, অভিজিৎ রায়

সময় পাল্টাচ্ছে। নতুন যুগের সাথে তাল মিলিয়ে পাল্টাচ্ছে আমাদের সনাতন মন মানসিকতা। খসে পড়ছে দীর্ঘদিনের নীতি ও নৈতিকতার কালো চাদরে ঢাকা মলিন আবরণগুলো। ভেঙ্গে পড়ছে শতাব্দীর ঘুণে ধরা সমাজের প্রাচীন সামন্ততান্ত্রিক মূল্যবোধের অচলায়তন। শুরুটা হয়েছিল পশ্চিমে অনেক আগেই, এর ঢেউ এখন আছড়ে পড়তে শুরু করেছে পূবের উপকূলেও। আমাদের পার্শ্ববর্তী দেশ ভারতে সম্প্রতি নয়াদিল্লির হাইকোর্ট সমকামিতা অপরাধ নয় বলে রায় দিয়েছে (জুলাই, ২০০৯) । ১৪৮ বছরের পুরোনো ঔপনিবেশিক আইনে সমকামিতাকে যেভাবে 'প্রকৃতিবিরুদ্ধ যৌনতা' হিসেবে গণ্য করে নিষিদ্ধ করে রাখা হয়েছিল - এ রায়ের মধ্য দিয়ে সেটির অবসান ঘটল। সমকামিতা নামক যৌনপ্রবৃত্তিটি ভারতের মতো দেশে প্রথমবারের মতো পেল কোনো ধরনের আইনি স্বীকৃতি। দিল&

761 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2020

Reviews

[Jawshan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a regular reader of Avijit da's writing until he died. This book was written and published before I got introduced to Avijit da and Muktomona back in 2009-2010. Six year after his death, 12 years after of this publication, I am reading this book, by this time, I grew up a lot, including earning a postgraduate degree in core neuroscience, which obviously changed my taste a lot. So I am going to write an honest review of current perception.

1. Avijit Roy explain the inadequate evidence of finding gay gene properly, we are not yet in the phase of declaring that there is genetic factor for homosexuality nor sufficient and necessary evidence of disregarding genetic influences on homosexuality/queerness.
2. Avijit Roy did a lot of research to write this book, but since neither sexual behavior of primates nor neuroscience of sexual dimorphism is his area of expertise, the scientific discussion part encompassing that section has lots of over interpretation, simplification -which is not very good from 2021 standard of neuroscience.

3. There is distinction between homosexuality and queerness. Homosexuality means attraction to same sex, transgender means not representing the sex people are biologically born with, more like a male mind trapped in a female body or female mind trapped in a male body. Queerness is a completely different thing, queerness is a culture. Someone who dress, identify or behave differently than the established standard of male female stereotypical behavior is a queer. In that sense, Angelina Jolie may be queer but not homosexual or transgender. But there is many places, lots of names are given as example without distinguishing between queerness and homosexuality/transgender, which is misleading.

4. In my opinion, the interpretation of representation/denial of homosexuality in religious scriptures are over interpreted. Besides male-male friendship and female-female friendship is sometimes suggested as homosexual relationship, which may not be the case too.

5. Avijit roy depicted the current cultural, legal and institutional behavioral shift in recognizing homosexuality as a natural phenomena as well as scientifically backed shifts in the view and attitude of psychological and medical community perfectly. I really appreciate this part in the book.

It could have been a better book if it were more precise, if it were written in 2021 and with more relevant scientific explanation as well as by getting rid of over interpretation. Avijit Roy most probably was the pioneer of writing on such debated topic in Bengali and didn't get much support to discuss it's content with other experts who also are knowledgable in this topic. That is the risk most pioneers face. It is easy for me to write this criticism after 8-10 years of education, being in 2021, but it was not easy for the writer who wrote it in 2009, without experts or peer support.

A whole hearted thanks to Avijit Roy for writing a full book on such a taboo topic, he was definitely ahead of his time from Bangladeshi socio-cultural context. He enriched readers like me by introducing this topic in Bangladeshi literary community.