By YKA Staff:
On December 11, 2013 the Supreme Court of India dealt a heavy blow to equal rights in India, by reversing a 2009 Delhi High Court judgement that had read down Section 377 of the IPC. Section 377, an archaic, discriminatory law criminalises homosexuality in India. On February 2, 2016, after hearing a curative petition about its own judgement, the Supreme Court has decided to re-open the hearing on Section 377 and referred it to a five judge bench.
Youth Ki Awaaz reached out to various prominent individuals, asking them why it’s important that Section 377 be scrapped. Here are their responses. Make sure that these voices reach thousands across the country! In the fight for equal rights, this is the first step we can all take together.
1. Ravi Karkara, Senior Advisor – Strategic Partnership to the Assistant Sec Gen/Deputy ED, UN Women
“Human rights are fundamental to all human beings irrespective of their sexual preference. They must be respected, protected and fulfilled. This is key to an inclusive and transformative society.”
“Section 377 is inhuman. It robs human beings of their dignity. Sex and the choice of partner is personal and so long as it is between two consenting adults no law should deny people this choice. It MUST be revised.”
“Since the Parliament rejected Mr. Shashi Tharoor’s bill to amend Sec 377, all our eyes are now on the Supreme Court in the hope that the esteemed panel, which comprises of the Chief Justice of India, would correct the gross injustice handed out to the sexual minorities, and would stand for everyone’s right to freedom, right to life with dignity and right to love.”
“The thing that I call deviant behavior is having a section of the IPC peeping in the bedrooms of consenting adults who are having sex.”
“In the time since the judgement, hundreds of LGBT people have faced harassment and extortion in the name of section 377. They (SC) owe it to each and every citizen of India that this gross miscarriage of justice in the name of the apex court is rectified and everyone is guaranteed a life of dignity, equality and non-discrimination. These are basic tenets of our constitution and it is their duty to uphold them. Hoping for the best and prepared for the worst. Wish us luck.”
“Today, our Supreme Court revisits the draconian, unfair and regressive Section 377 that deems a large section’s sexual orientation as invisible & criminal. How can over 25,00,000 people be invisible? I am hoping that the panel of justices deciding the fate of our country’s true progress, have their hearts in the right place but more importantly their minds. #ScrapSection377 #LoveForALL can’t HURT anyone.”