By Pratishtha Sharma
“Won’t judge gay people”- Pope Francis.
Not to worry, we will – Supreme court of India
The first protest against section 377 in Indian Constitution dates back to 1992, when two men were arrested in C.P. on the grounds that “they were indulge in homosexual acts”. On December 2013, four years after the Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality, similar protests on an even larger scale engulfed the entire country.
“According to Section 377, a 153-year-old colonial law, a same-sex relationship is an “unnatural offense” and punishable by a 10-year jail term.”
Even though nothing has been done even after a month, but we do see a wave of revolution in the country. We see people coming to the forefront and displaying their anguish. And why not..after all everyone should have the right to choose how they want to live their life and will be facing those consequences on judgement day, who are we to dictate or judge?
The seed for this sweeping change was in fact an Open Letter Campaign against section 377 started in 2006 .Not only lesbian and gays, but who’s who of civil society signed on it. That seed has borne a bountiful fruit today in the form of widespread protests.It is utterly disappointing to see the World’s largest democracy take a backward step in the fight for equality for all human beings by upholding section-377…
Freedom means letting people go home to whatever it is that makes them happy as long as they do no harm to others. Legislating sexuality is barbaric, silly and doomed to fail.It is absolutely appalling to those who want to see a Modern India. How can our leaders be so oblivious and daft to the plight of those suffering from persecution of being homosexual which is of no fault of their own! It’s an unnerving irony where a largely socio-sexual society such as India will frown upon anything that deals with sexual liberalism. I am sure there are much more important things to worry about in India such as the extreme poverty. What two consenting Indians do in private is none of my business. Neither the business of the Indian government!
In 2009, people did not protest when homosexuality was decriminalized; there was no rioting on the streets. I expect the Indian parliament to overturn this decision, and when they do, again most of the people won’t protest as everyone should be allowed to have beliefs and opinions.
I would say a good place to draw the line is to criminalize against those who force another to act against their will or who take advantage of those unable to form a decision.
India has in fact reinstated a law which is a legacy of British colonial rule by upholding 377. It’s time the parliament in Delhi should have a look at the calendar and remind itself of what a century is.Being gay doesn’t give you any rights at all. Being a human does . This law is against human rights and should be viewed by everyone as an abuse of those rights.
No religion or individual has the right to direct other people’s lives especially in personal matters. This is actually not even about religion; it’s about the stubborn; so called followers. The sad part is people will now be classed as criminals when they have nothing wrong with them.
God created all of us…and loves us all. That means not just heterosexual people, it means EVERYONE.
I accept gay people, bisexual people, straight people, transsexual people and every sort of person.If I had to choose whether to live next door to someone who was gay or someone who spits venom at gay people…I know which one I’d choose …
