Protesters take a stand against ‘strange and regressive’ Indian Supreme Court ban on gay sex
Protesters have made a stand against today’s Supreme Court decision in India to reinstate a ban on gay sex.
Members of the LGBT community in Delhi took to the Academy of Fine Arts and unanimously agreed to continue to fight for their rights.
A member of SAATHII, an NGO which works with LGBT people, said they would file a curative petition in the apex court, and that they would appeal for a review of the judgement.
Pawan Dhall said: “The ruling itself is full of contradictions. The 2009 Delhi High Court judgement which had decriminalised gay sex was a landmark ruling, which was appreciated internationally. Now this is strange and very regressive.”
Another protester, Meenakshi Sanyal, who runs Sappho for Equality said that the movement for LGBT equality would only get stronger.
Film director Onir, known for his films tackling gay issues, said: “This is truly disappointing. It has taken us many years back. But now our voice will only get stronger. There is widespread disappointment with this judgement. People from outside the homosexual community are now supporting us in our fight,” Onir told PTI.
“In today’s democratic India you cannot have laws which are regressive.”
The court ruling reverses a landmark 2009 Delhi High Court order which had decriminalised same-sex sexual activity.
