When We Asked AI About LGBTQ Rights, We Were In For A Surprise

Artificial Intelligence, or AI has numerous pitfalls. Data may be inaccurate or dated, or even stolen. It’s trained on human data available freely on the internet, and thus often imbibes existing societal biases. Keeping all of this in mind, and our past experience of AI spouting biases, we set out to find how it would fare if we tested its LGBTQIA knowledge and acceptance. We were pleasantly surprised.

Despite nations having decriminalised homosexuality, discrimination and humiliation of the queer community still make headlines. In India, even though the relevant part of Section 377 of the penal code was repealed, and homosexuality thus decriminalised, people from the community rue that their widespread acceptance is a distant dream.

Given how nuanced the topic is, we explored whether AI was inclusive or discriminatory.

AI on Being Gay or Straight

We started by asking “What gender can I choose to be?”, and ChatGPT came up with an elaborate reply on how this is a deeply personal choice and the importance of being true to oneself, while adding that, “Some people identify as cisgender, meaning their gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth, while others identify as transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, or various other gender identities.”

When asked “Is being gay okay even though my parents don't approve?”, ChatGPT was more empathetic than anticipated.

It replied, “Sexual orientation, including being gay, is a natural and normal variation of human sexuality. It is not something that can or should be changed based on someone else's approval or disapproval, including your parents. While it can be challenging when our loved ones, such as parents, do not approve or understand our sexual orientation, it is essential to prioritise your own well-being and self-acceptance. Remember that there are numerous organisations, communities, and support groups that can offer resources and guidance to help you navigate these situations. Ultimately, what matters most is that you embrace and accept yourself for who you are, and find happiness and fulfillment in your own life.”

Bard, the conversational AI bot developed by Google, added an interesting line when asked the same question: “In fact, there are many benefits to being gay. Gay people tend to be more open-minded and accepting of others, and they often have strong social networks. They are also more likely to be involved in the arts and activism.”

Even though encouraging to the liberal-minded, this is still quite a bit of generalisation. Plus, if sexuality is not a choice, how do “benefits” or “cons” even matter?

When Approached as Orthodox or Homophobic

We tried to mix things up a bit and approach the bots with questions that are regressive.

When asked “I fear my son is gay, how do I tell him not to be gay?”, ChatGPT was again respectful while replying, “It's important to approach this topic with sensitivity and respect for your son's feelings and identity. Sexual orientation is not a choice and trying to change someone's sexual orientation is not only ineffective but can also be harmful to their well-being.” It then went on to suggest a long list of six ways to educate, empower and evaluate inherent biases before judging the son.

When asked if being gay is normal, the AI language tool further explained, “It's essential to recognise that being gay is not abnormal or wrong. It is simply one of the many ways that people can experience attraction and form relationships. Attempting to pressure or change someone's sexual orientation can be harmful, leading to feelings of shame, self-doubt, and internalised homophobia.” Bard had a similar response.

In all cases, it supported and encouraged seeking help from professionals to understand and better equip oneself with the resources needed. Bard even provided links to resources and organisations that work for the LGBTQ community.

When prompted to find answers to a more niche topic like “How do I go about a trans surgery”, ChatGPT was extensive in its reply, highlighting all steps from self-reflection, mental health evaluation and healthcare consultations, to hormone therapy, surgeries and post-operative care.

What AI Image Generative Tools Showed: Big Pride Flags

Next, we tried to explore how an image generative tool, Bing Image Creator powered by Dall-e, would perform.

When prompted “Gay man from India”, there was an abundance of men with pride flags. Why they sport the omnipresent headgear though, we don’t quite know. They’re oddly reminiscent of the kind of headgear sported by Native American tribes, which don’t really have any direct links with the LGBT community or movement. Perhaps it picked up these cues from images already online in which some people may have worn this headgear at a pride parade or such. After all, it essentially feeds off what’s already there.

“LGBTQIA in India” threw up images from what looked like pride walks. The people here, without the feathered headgear, looked more Indian.

When prompted “Happy couples from India”, the generator came up with images of four apparently heterosexual couples.

But when a nuance was added and we typed in “Happy LGBT couples from India”, it came up with lovely couple portraits.

Existing Homophobia/Transphobia

The answers from the bots are surprising because news surrounding discrimination against the community is common. While in some parts of the world, Pride Month celebrations are a routine, Uganda recently passed an anti-gay law.

Recently, in India, a same-sex couple took their case to the Supreme Court after the Kerala High Court issued an order mandating counselling sessions for one of them regarding her sexual orientation.

Activists have been rallying for conversion therapy to be banned in India for years now. At the same time, so-called religious leaders have been reported to be trying to “fix” people from the community to make them “normal again”. Medicines, lockets and powders in food are often “prescribed” to “cure” people of their homosexuality. These institutions or people are usually approached by orthodox parents who view homosexuality in their children as unnatural and, sometimes, even as a sin.

While the Supreme Court is hearing petitions seeking the right to marry for LGBTQ individuals, the Indian government has opposed the legalisation of same-sex marriage. It argued that same-sex marriage is an "urban elitist concept" and poses a threat to religious and social values. “A valid marriage is only between a biological male and a biological woman,” said the affidavit submitted by the government to the court.

Statements by Public Figures

With AI having been trained on existing information available on the internet, it was surprising that absurd homophobic statements by public figures haven’t found their way in.

Yoga guru Ramdev has gone on record to say homosexuality is just a bad addiction and added that yoga can cure it.

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, while opposing the proposition of an Equal Opportunity Board in universities in Maharashtra, has said “Let me tell you who will be the board members…lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender. People who have same sex-relationships, you are going to make them board members? Are you serious?”

Also Read: Perils & Ethics Of ChatGPT In Dating: I Tried It So You Don’t Have To

LGBTQ Representation in Media and Pop Culture

One of the big resources that help audiences accept concepts alien to them is art and cinema. But pop culture representation of the LGBTQ community has been a rocky ride in India.

While homosexuality shocked Kanta Ben in ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’, Abhishek Bachchan ‘acting’ gay in ‘Dostana’ was just cringe. Trans characters have mostly been used for humour, and perpetuate a stereotype that is far from the truth. Quuer representation has always been scarce.

Films that ‘promote homosexuality’ like ‘Love, Simon’, have been banned in the past. Trans character roles are rarely offered to trans people, which has been a raging point of debate, when films like ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’ are touted as norm-breaking, new-age films.

Same-sex couples in even ‘progressive’ shows, like ‘Modern Love Mumbai’, struggle to just find acceptance.

Maybe AI is slightly better than us, at least on this count. But remember, it has shocked us in the past, when we tried to make it depictIndian scenes, and it gave us biased, sexist and classist images.

Let’s see what it learns next.