One year ago, on July 2nd 2009, the Delhi High Court gave a historic
judgement decriminalising adult consensual same-sex sexual activity in
private. The ruling overturned a 19th century British law, Section 377 of
the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised same-sex activity as being
“against the order of nature†! Under this law millions of people in India
suffered life-long harassment in schools, colleges, workspace, homes, the
streets etc. along with discrimination and blackmail simply for loving
someone of the same sex. This law, coupled with the homophobic mahaul in
society, led to forced marriages, suicides and continual violence faced by
lesbians, bisexuals, gay and transgender people.