Mumbai: Members of Mumbai’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) community Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict that struck down Section 377 — a colonial-era law that made homosexual acts punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Several NGOs, rights groups and LGBTQI organisations under the Humsafar Trust banner took a victory rally from Vakola to Kalina in Santacruz east on Thursday evening to celebrate the apex court’s verdict.
Few took this moment to come out of the closet on social media that went abuzz with even celebrities rejoicing the legalisation of homosexuality in the country.
Talking to The Asian Age, a gay couple, Neil Pate and his partner Dr Roop Grushan, who have been living together since 17 years, said, “It’s a landmark judgement. Earlier we used to hide our identities but now we can walk freely.”
Another couple Prushay and Shubhan said, “People should also accept our identities. It’s too embarrassing for us when we go in public and people say ‘shall we tell police about your 377 saga’, but now no one can bother us.”
Activists had been fighting the ban since the 1990s, suffering several court reverses before Thursday’s verdict which sparked celebrations amo-ng LGBTQI across India.
United Nations India also welcomed the SC ruling. “Sexual orientation and gender expression form an integral part of an individual’s identity the world over, and violence, stigma and discrimination based on these attributes constitute an egregious violation of human rights,” the organisation said in a statement.
