Gaya International Airport in India will keep its IATA three-letter code "GAY" after multiple requests to change it. A member of Parliament expressed discomfort with the code, suggesting it is socially offensive. Despite these concerns, the Minister of Civil Aviation stated there are no plans to alter the code, highlighting the codes' importance in the aviation system. Although same-sex relations are legalized in India, societal acceptance remains limited, with recent marriage equality petitions rejected and public opinion still divided on the issue.
Bhim Singh, a member of the Indian Parliament's upper house Rajya Sabha, recently submitted a written inquiry pressuring the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to change the code, claiming it makes people "uncomfortable." Singh said in his inquiry that the abbreviation is "socially and culturally offensive" and that it should be changed to "a more respectful and culturally appropriate code."
Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Murlidhar Mohol acknowledged that while "requests for changing the code of Gaya have been received in the past by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airports Authority of India," the organizations have no intentions to change it.
While same-sex relationships are no longer criminalized in India, LGBTQ+ people still struggle to find acceptance socially and legally. The court rejected petitions for marriage equality in 2023, and just 53 percent of adults said in a poll from the Pew Research Center that same-sex couples should be able to legally marry.
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