Veteran singer Anuradha Paudwal has stirred an online debate after her comments on the LGBTQ community, marriage, and modern society during a recent podcast surfaced online. The remarks have sparked widespread backlash, with social media users calling out the singer for what they believe were insensitive and uninformed views about the queer community.
Event Context
During her recent appearance on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube podcast, Anuradha was asked whether she believes the institution of marriage has weakened in India over the years.
To this, Anuradha said, “The sanctity isn’t left in marriage. The reason is the rights given to the LGBTQ community. How are they contributing to society? I would like to know. In what way are they contributing? It is fine until a girl and a boy get married and start a family; they are doing it the right way. But with the LGBTQ community… I keep seeing such things every few days. How is it contributing to the welfare of society? Maybe I have missed a point, but how are they contributing to society?”
The singer’s remarks did not sit well with many social media users, who criticised her understanding of the subject and questioned why she chose to comment on an issue they believed she was not well informed about.
One wrote, “Well.. I’ll tell you how they are contributing. They are willing to legally get married, Legally adopt children who were thrown away by HETERO sexual people and that says everything! STOP GIVING MICROPHONES anyone and everyone…”
“This is like asking ‘How do left-handed people contribute to society?’ Being gay is a sexual orientation, not a profession or a social role. Gay people contribute in every field of life. The real measure of a person is their character, compassion, and work—not whom they love,” another shared. One social media user mentioned, “@paudwal.anuradha_official you have definitely missed not ‘a point’ but many points. A lot of people like you and me have made enough ‘contribution’ to the society. That’s how we are the country with the first rank in only one category: of being the country with the highest population. In fact, we have to be grateful to gay and lesbian people who have brought a small drop in that population. What is more important is that you need to open your eyes, your mind more and your mouth less.”
Match Outlook
One social media user wrote, “Ma’am, homosexuals are contributing in the same way as heterosexuals are. They are doctors, engineers, artists and taxpayers. Even when they have been denied equal rights, they show up every day. Like you sing bhajans and some singers perform rock or metal. Wouldn’t it be ridiculous to ask what your contribution to music is because you don’t sing rock?”
Another disappointed social media shared, “Wow! This has shook me. I don’t ever want to listen to her songs anymore. From being her fan to hating her. She’s in her JK Rowling era.”
Anuradha first sang a shloka in the 1973 film Abhimaan, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya, and followed up with films like Kalicharan, Aap Beati and the blockbuster Hero. It was, however, in the 90s that the singer came up with consecutive hits in Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahi and Saajan. In recent times, she is known for singing devotional songs.
