It’s gaiety time for city gays

Kolkata The breakthrough judgment of the Delhi High Court on homosexuality was announced on Thursday Morning, but Anindya Hajra spent a sleepless night. An activist of city-based LGBT support group Pratyay, Hajra was worried that the verdict on the public interest litigation filed by the Delhi-based Naz Foundation challenging the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (which criminalises homosexuality) will not be favourable.

“There were too many controversies involved. With religious leader also involved in the process, I was bit skeptical,” said Hajra after the verdict.

The doubts were put to rest after the HC legalised ‘homosexuality among consenting adults’ holding that the law making it a criminal offence violates the fundamental rights.

“It’s something we have been dreaming about for so many years. I’m ecstatic,” says Malobika from Sappho for Equality, a platform for the rights of lesbian, bisexual and transgender women.

It was reported last week that the Centre is actively working to repeal the Section 377, with Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad scheduled to meet to evolve a consensus on the repeal.

Even as the LGBT community of the city rejoiced over the news, religious leaders expressed their reservations. “The religious dissent is quite the dampener. If religious politics is taken into account, then the possibility of the law being repealed seemed bleak,” said Paromita Chakraborti, professor, Jadavpur University, who offers queer studies classes in the university.

However, Section 377 will continue for non-consensual, non-vaginal sex. “That’s something we have to work on. After all, this is a very significant and important battle won in a war,” says Pawan Dhall of SAATHI, a city-based LGBT group.