Indian court legalises gay sex

[Naveed Yaseen]

NEW DELHI: An Indian court issued a landmark ruling on Thursday that decriminalised gay sex between consenting adults by declaring a colonial-era ban on homosexuality unconstitutional. The decision by the Delhi High Court was hailed by gay activists as a historic step in their struggle to achieve equal rights in a conservative society that largely regards homosexuality as a taboo. The court ruled that the existing ban on homosexual acts was discriminatory. “We are all very thrilled and happy,” said Anjali Gopalan, executive director of the Naz Foundation, a gay advocacy group that had petitioned the court to overturn the statute. While the ruling is non-binding outside the Indian capital, it effectively leaves the government with the choice of appealing to the Supreme Court or repealing the law nationwide. The decision was criticised by religious groups, particularly leaders of India’s Muslim and Christian communities, who staunchly opposed the move to legalise gay sex. afp

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