08 November,2009 09:38 AM IST | | Hemal Ashar
If Andheri seems noisy on a Sunday, blame it on the Association of Medical Consultants (AMC), annual AMCON 2009 conference at the Leela Kempinski hotel.
The conference, says AMC president Dr Suhas Kate, has a host of speakers on varied topics but the fireworks are reserved for the last. Three gay rights supporters and the opposition are to face off in a stormy debate. The subject of the debate is: gay rights movement is here to stay.u00a0
Those speaking in support of the Gay Rights Movement are Dr Harish Shetty the psychiatrist, Vikram Phukan, editor of Bombay Dost magazine and a radio DJ known as Love Guru, Dr Junaid Alam.
Those who oppose the motion are Fr John Furgose of Vasai Church, proctologist Dr Kushal Mittal and gynaecologist Dr S N Agarwal.u00a0u00a0
Dr Shetty says, "I would focus on telling people not to reduce human beings into standardised formulae. Though my audience is doctors, four-and-a-half years of MBBS can't wipe off 100 years of conditioning."
Phukan says he would interspersing his arguments "with how having 15 medical doctors in my extended family affected my coming out about my sexuality".
Fr John Furgose, Chancellor, Diocese of the Church of Vasai, says, "I would centre my argument on morality.
Homosexuality is against God's word." If Father Furgose's stand is more about the soul, Dr S N Agarwal says, "I would talk about how gay sex harms the body."
