India Reacts to the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality

Reactions have been split in the world’s second most populous country following an historic supreme court decision that decriminalised homosexuality across India.

LGBT+ activists have promised this is not the end of the fight and that they will continue to work against discrimination.

“While we celebrate this victory, we must acknowledge that we have a long road ahead to make India truly LGBTQ-inclusive,” said Parmesh Shahaniof Godrej India Culture Lab.

“Civil society needs to come together to convert the intent of the Supreme Court verdict to action. The real work starts now.”

India’s LGBT+ community still faces an uphill battle regarding adoption and surrogacy rights and equal marriage.

“Even though legally we may be free, we are not yet free socially,” said India’s gay prince Manvendra Singh Gohil. “We will have to do a lot of effort so that society also accepts us.”

While the International Commission of Jurists warned, “Even a landmark decision by the Indian Supreme Court cannot alone end the discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Conservatives across the subcontinent have criticised the court’s decision. A member of parliament Subramanian Swamy said, “This verdict could give rise to other issues such as an increase in the number of HIV cases.”

The Milli Gazette called it “a step towards self-destruction.”

The UN has cautioned that it “sincerely hopes that the court’s ruling will be the first step towards guaranteeing the full range of fundamental rights to LGBTI persons.”

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