Fans of cartoonist Scott Adams' Dilbert will recognize Dogbert, Asok the intern, and the comic's signature satirical wit. Many, however, may have been (pleasantly, I hope) surprised by the strip's recent tackling of international LGBT issues—namely, India's criminalization of gay couples.
Dilbert is one of the most successful syndicated comic strips in history, as it appears in 2,000 newspapers in 70 countries around the world.
Scott commented on the comic strip via his blog, expressing disapproval of the government regulating peoples' relationships:
Today Asok the intern came out. Tomorrow he’ll have some things to say about the so-called government of India.
Cue the inevitable cries of “Stop being political! You’re ruining Dilbert!”
Allow me to address that right now.
It’s only political if there’s someone on the other side of the debate. In this case, no one favors a government deciding which sexual acts among consenting adults in the privacy of their own homes are allowed and which are punishable by jail.
If I am wrong, and you favor the government restricting what kind of sex you can have with another consenting adult, please proudly state your case. I’m listening.
Cue cricket sounds…
A number of the newspapers in which Dilbert circulates, however, chose to not run this particular strip, or the following day's strip, which also commented in no uncertain terms on the situation in India:
In December 2013, the Supreme Court in India reversed a landmark decision and re-criminalized LGBT couples' relationships throughout the country. Since the ruling, India's LGBT community and its allies have been protesting the decision.