India celebrates decriminalisation of gay sex after Supreme Court ruling - in pictures
'It is the best judgement we could have hoped for'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.This week it was announced that the Supreme Court in India had made the landmark ruling to decriminalise gay sex following a 17-year legal battle.
Gay sex had previously been against the law and punishable by up to 10 years in prison, as outlined in Section 377 of the Indian constitution.
Members and supporters of the LGBT+ community took to the streets in their droves to celebrate the historic occasion.
The rain in New Delhi did little to dampen people’s soaring spirits following the Supreme Court decision, while there were jubilant festivities taking place in other areas of the country including Kolkata and Siliguri.
Dipak Misra, Chief Justice of India, spoke about the significant ruling while reading out his judgement on the case, describing the law as “irrational, arbitrary and indefensible”.
“Any consensual sexual relationship between two consenting adults - homosexuals, heterosexuals or lesbians - cannot be said to be unconstitutional,” he said.
The fight to decriminalise gay sex began in 2001, when the Naz Foundation charity, an organisation that focuses on sexual health, took a legal challenge to the Delhi High Court.
Anjali Gopalan, founder of the Naz Foundation, told The Independent that the decision was “wonderful news.”
“They have opened the door to discussing rights,” she said.
“They have apologised to the gay community, and they have said copies of the judgement will be handed to every police station.
“It is the best judgement we could have hoped for."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments