Activists welcome apex court’s receptive verdict

Mumbai: Leading activist, gay rights campaigner and journalist Ashok Row Kavi welcomed the Supreme Court verdict. He said that, “The apex court verdict is very receptive for the rights of the LGBTQI; it has given our rights without harming and protecting rights of minors and animals.”

Mr Kavi said, “It was a tough fight and the real struggle is to tackle the issues related to mental and physical health of LGBTQI members. The high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, rate of depression leads to suicides and suicidal tendencies are nearly 60 per cent plus, which results in rampant alcoholism and suicides are noted especially among lesbians.”

“Now the second step is to see how the existing laws pertaining to marriage, divorce or adoptions would be applicable to the LGBTQI community,” he added.

The LGBTQI comprises an estimated five per cent of the Indian population.

Another LGBTQI activ-ist Harish Iyer  who is the first gay in the country seeking proposals for same-sex marriage since 2015, stated the verdict as “very progressive, heralding the beginning of the end of discrimination.”

Mr Iyer added, “This should make people’s mind broad for accepting the people  who are towards the sexual minorities,  getting their wholehearted acceptance  is a big challenge.”