they are not keen on it in goa!! it is rather frowned upon. it would be best if your friends didn't advertise the fact that they are gay!! this may not be a universal answer to the question, but it is what i've been told by friends of mine that are goan.
BOB

As Bob says despite Goa being a very liberal state it is frowned upon.So i think you will find that it will be much worse in other parts of India.

John

Saw quite a few couples using the shacks, they didnt get any bother.

Its not as if they spend their time kissin an a cuddling eh.

We met up with two flamboyant and very open gay guys on at least two seperate xmas hols in Candolim. We had a couple of meals with them and they were very enlightening to us by pointing out the many gay waiters who are actually on the game!!
Once we realised it was so easy to spot them it seemed to be a new pastime for us.
Tell them not to worry Goans just tend to ignore this sort of thing unless you are just in their face.

Gaz

and yet indians are strangely tolerant accepting and even welcoming to the drag queens who bring luck to indian weddings..iv seen these people in many parts of india, iv never been able to learn much about them, iv been told they are hermaphrodite and chosen by the gods, but in reality i think they are simply gay transvestites who over time have found that their superstitious status has afforded them the chance to dress up flamboyantly..attend lavish wedding celebrations and not be frowned upon.
as for gays in goa i think its the samein resorts world over..as long as descretion is the order of the day, their money is as welcome as anyone elses.

thanks for all your replies it is much appreciated, they are quite reserved people so they should have no problems

I was quite surprised at the number of young male indians walking along the beach in Candolim with their arms around each other. I was told by a shack owner that because of the strict ' no sex before mariage' beliefs that some of the single males often bond with their mates as a substitute prior to marriage. I don't know how true this is but there did appear to be quite a few knocking about. If I'd done that with my mates i'd have got a smack!!! We met to old bloke's in the hotel who had been coming to Goa for years. They had had no problems although obviously gay to fellow Brits the locals either didn't know or didn't care.

Careful how you label people
Across the Middle and Far East, guys holding hands and arms across shoulders is often a sign of simply best friends.
In the past, iv'e been asked if i'm gay.
Ha!! I'm not even happy

I took it that was what it also meant in India eddie. We saw a lot of men holding hands during our tour. whatever the reason- no-one was bothered by this.

Eddie and Fiona are right , in India it's normal for male friends to hold hands in public, but men holding womens hands in public is a definate no no !

its faily simple really, indin men are not afraid of openly making a show of FRIENDSHIP, with another male.
BOB

I have met several gay's during my visits to Goa and my observations are that the younger Goans (at least on the surface) are not fazed by this. Some may be a little intrigued and some may be a little bemused but it doesn't seem to bother them greatly. I was reliably informed by one barman that a guest at his hotel who I had been talking to (in his words) swung both ways (I think he noticed that I was looking rather confused when this very camp chap appeared with his girlfriend! I think that some gays probably get a harder time from Europeans. We got chatting with a couple of (obviously) gay chaps in the queue at the airport, they were smashing fellers with a great sense of humour and kept us sane during the long wait but the sneering looks they were getting from other Brits in the queue were dreadful. I don't think being gay is universaly acceptable in Goa largely because of the cultural and religious influences there but I also think that any gays visiting will be made welcome as long as they aren't flaunting their sexuality. This goes for hetrosexual couples too. As someone earlier observed, Goan men and women don't display their sexual attraction openly (ie holding hands or kissing) - I don't think its necessarily taboo but just that this side of life is considered to be very private. I have also seen a couple of "lady-boys" in Mapusa market - they were so beautiful.

Any gays going to Goa, I am sure you will have no problems - have a great time.

my friends brother is gay he and his partner have visited Goa several times without a problem, although it is frowned upon in India, Goa included. It is quite normal for Indian boys to hold hands and put there arms around each other in friendship a subject my sons had a problem with at first but after several trips now accept it as the norm (not something they would do with there male friends in England though unless they'd just scored a goal!) Relax dont worry they probably wont even notice have a great time.

but men holding womens hands in public is a definate no no !

why is that a no no? i held my partners hand whilst we were in Goa a few days ago.

"why is that a no no? i held my partners hand whilst we were in Goa a few days ago."

It probably wont turn many heads in Goa but in India public displays of affection (holding hands, stroking, kissing) are very much a no no (in general). Cross the border into Karnatika and Maharashtra and you will get some pretty strange looks also if you aren't covered up properly also.

Tell me about it Neil.. I was one of the ones who found that out to me cost . colleen

Hi when we where last in goa i asked at one of the shacks about the boys holding hands and the owner said it was more of a way of life in rural areas rather than the big citys so i found it funny these men and boys staring at us europeans at the end of our sunbeds while holding hands anyway ireland is like the president of iran said about his country we dont have gay people here

IC,

Was in Hampi with my partner and since we were in 4x4 most of the time were dressed lightly. My partner totally forgot about dress code round a bigger temple, she got shouted at and was totally embarrassed by the fact she was wearing a short skirt. She hadn't been thinking as she did know this after having been to other parts of India.

I never felt comfortable in a few places in Goa holding hands as I could tell a lot of people were watching, of course this was a real passion killer for her! Most of Goa is probably OK it's just older people, both muslim and hindu.

B N - what do you mean by your partner got shouted at?
abusive shouting?