Bigger India
For LGBT Indians, Time to Right a British-era Wrong
The prejudice against homosexuality is a legacy of colonial rule, yet its bigotry has been thoroughly internalised in India
India is contemplating the prospect of a major social revolution as a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court this week hears a raft of petitions challenging Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which outlaws homosexuality.
The law, a legacy of the British colonial era, criminalises “unnatural acts against the order of nature”, and has long been used to harass gay Indians. Since it makes non penile-vaginal intercourse illegal, even between consenting adults, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are particularly affected.