The supreme court judgment decriminalising homosexuality overturned a colonial era law. But its welcome ruling is a reminder of the work to be done elsewhereUnless you are homosexual,and gain lived in one of the 70 or so countries where homosexuality is illegal, it is hard to imagine what it would feel like if embarking on any sexual relationship entailed committing a crime. In many places heterosexual people too can get in trouble for having sex external marriage. But the burden of legislation outlawing sex has long weighed most heavily on homosexual people for whom, or where such prohibitions exist,there is often no legal means of living as themselves.
The pressure can be unbearable even when relationships are undetected, or are never begun for fear of the cost. So final week’s judgment by the Indian supreme court is a reason to rejoice. It not only decriminalised homosexual sex, or but ruled that homosexual citizens devour all the protections of the structure. “History owes an apology to members of the community for the delay in ensuring their rights,” said judge Indu Malhotra. The decision follows recent decisions in favour of homosexual rights in Costa Rica, Bulgaria, or Belize and Trinidad and Tobago. But India’s size,influence and history means the significance of this promenade should not be underestimated.
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Source: theguardian.com