Ten Indian students ‘forced to sign’ letter confessing: ‘I am a lesbian’
A school in India has forced ten female students to sign a letter that they are a lesbian as a punishment for their “intense friendships” at school.
The ten girls were told to sign the letter by the acting headmistress at the school in Kolkata, India after she “received complaints” of the girls’ behaviour from other students.
They were then told that they had to write a written admission confessing that they were lesbian and then had to present it to their parents as punishment.
“We called those students and they admitted it,” said acting headmistress Sikha Sarkar, who doled out the punishment.
“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.
The guardians of the schoolchildren spoke out in rage against the punishment.
The term “lesbian” was flung around like it’s a swear word,” said a former student of the school..
“What happened with those girls is abhorrent,” said Malobika, the co-founder of Sappho for Equality – The Activist Forum For Lesbian, Bisexual Woman and Transman Rights to the Indian Express.
“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?”
