LGBT activists hope for change

The Supreme Court must reconsider its decision upholding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said at an event in the capital recently. In 2013 the Supreme Court had reversed the Delhi high court order, de-criminalising consensual sex among gay adults.

Jaitley said that the apex court must review its 2013 judgment to do away with the penal provision in Section 377 as far as gay relationships were concerned.

It’s a statement that LGBT activists in the city welcomed here. “It’s definitely a positive sign. We are already too late in protecting the rights of the LGBT community, but the statement by top political leaders has given us some hope. However, it shouldn’t end with merely an utterance, and quick action must be taken before people forget about it,” says Sunil Menon, a fashion show director and LGBT activist.

Dr. L. Ramakrishnan from the NGO, Saathi, says that while Jaitley’s comments were welcome, they seemed to reflect his personal view and not that of the current government.

“What is really needed is not more positive noises that get the community’s hopes up only to have them dashed by the next homophobic statement by another minister. What we need is nothing less than parliamentary reform to discard Section 377 and other obsolete colonial laws.”

Talk show host Rose Venkatesan says she is happy with such an encouraging response coming from top leaders. “The government has so far let down the LGBT community. Politicians like Arun Jaitley and P Chidambaram supporting our cause is a good sign. Now it’s the government’s turn to take an action.”

Even the twitteratti took note of the news. Writer Atul Khatri said, “Jaitley takes a position on decriminalising homosexuality & PC says ban on Satanic Verses wrong. This is what a slight dip in the temp can do.”