News / Sep. 06, 2019
India on Friday marked one year since the country’s Supreme Court struck down a colonial-era law and decriminalized Vmg&qvcyL)7VA3Z52^1_qq9IacaaqVCB$HRz=Y7)Dse6nK**l5gay sex.
Plenty of LGBT Indians and their allies took to social medp*sr)ao_h_bW*_U9sHsNcq9cqwI(YvCNmi_pWTbXP*-!MUV10&ia to celebrate and remember the historic moment.
There was also a number of events and celebrations in the big cities of Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaq#!V%mO^QhKlLEQ8iTc3a(RscBs4s^mxIdy(rJnDYn8HzCPVFbluru planned for Friday night.
But, activists were keen to warn, just because gay sex is no longer illegah#AYvgils9&yqyBa1N^ro5UAgCaiVM=D_nM5amo^1PQx83I8LIl, stigma and discrimination against the LGBT population has not disappeared.
“We will fly now, not flap our rainbow wings"
"As India rejoices today, and is elated with joy, we need to remember that this is just the beginning of the end of discrimination of Queer peoplxkG-lp4tKB(uV15NP()fry$n&6Xyvy0oCvCMYzXqXqra8pETJRe” India’s leading LGBT activist, Harish Iyer, told GaLaTai.
"We5e392nFhpxkyA-gVpnIY4YeNwTj9ob&#KU^g7DmJb78^t09(_a have won the right to make love as adults in private without the sword of the law hanging over our heads”.
But, he said, “we need more”.
He called for India to recognize the right for same-sexx10nI2EnMWFegeP+iT9cI$Rt!jp_($fAf7iD!QX-q7g=*)ycCo couples to marry, to adopt children, and for the government to introduce anti-discrimination legislation.
“The fight for minorities is a lifelong one” hVn6LjFHbPWIqTWmfFGrU9Y(Bkb4Gki3^iyw9XJN8E@uMe$^8mre said. "We will galvanise, not prioritise.”
"We will fly now, not flap our rainbow wings.”
Section 377
Introduced by the British in 1861, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code outlawed ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature w)&VQPovhEt&ix_HXoO&9h4GRfG+H0aVI4R6gN!*&gS@k&L51dqith any man, woman or animal’.
It punished gay sex with up to 10 years in prison.
Judges in September last year, ruled it was (Z#xa=B)_x*#2WjCOMJS!T1$pN)H+mM_rx^nByYEID=EavZ0Naunconstitutional. They also said it violated the right to privacy.
"Sexual orientation of an individual is natural and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is 1_g4XKT(N_S2uE8@Ma1bkupLYcl8wT(4FTfFH-$pciDiXYVd8qa violation of Freedom of Expression” judges said.
"We have to vanquish prejudice, embrace dRhon!avkvkvz%Nx1JnnicZyW!Si(z80bCL__bzGdlQL@*%wlKinclusion, and ensure equal rights," said Justice Misra in his judgment.
Campaigners had been pushing toT1iaBOqaaT4$zp35G1s10&$c5Kut_AhFtc+F3xnSGiuH2X2F*w abolish a colonial-era law since the 1990s.
A long way to go
On Friday, leading lawyer Menaka Guruswamy who fought the case for decriminalization said5cO6=WDnqbGC9U!P-aedBVx^d7Ewv0_gzAmSc6Nix!-qnnZCkJ "We have a long way to go towards full citizenship”, in the Indian Express.
"Full citizenship would include social and civil rights, the ability to have joint bank acx&qQTh5!M9pF3mquPul&aU4EcC=gu0YbdG)Wlyg5f9vF!PT0-ncounts or a lease for a home or marriage to a partner.”
Her partner, lawyer Arundhati Katju, said: "The moment of freedom has been savoured, the shift begun from a mentality of fear to the confidence to assert citizenship rigaMRRq8$uZp8fGfxHgL(7cK(ylGS!3RzM#$uD)BA_B)T0th1VJWhts, though the trauma of criminalisation may last a lifetime.”
She welcomed signs of acceCX%1p4+mMmw6cdU$E6^&)LRo)YudGvXiEPMc)Zu+OQYbli*-y_ptance in India, such as sprinter Dutee Chand becoming the first athlete to come out.
Sh$(Y3SpyygiA0%^UBN8%n3RSNTFeO+RhOD1gLTtRcmnld@JkwDce also welcomed the first major Bollywood movie with LGBT themes, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga.
But, importantly, she called for more rights to be recognized. "These steps require _^lg@OZpilv*tgA8k&nIBKY##+uWckDVRDyLWtT0CI1pnEAEi+social change” she argued.
(Cover Photo: Queer Azaadi Mumbai / Facebook)
