Decriminalising homosexuality in India

作者：Misra Geetanjali^*

来源：Reproductive Health Matters, 2009, 17(34): 20-28.

DOI：10.1016/s0968-8080(09)34478-x

• advocacy and political process
• homosexuality
• law and policy
• LGBT organisations
• sexual rights
• India

This paper examines the successful fight against the provision in Section 377 of the Penal Code of Indio that criminalised private consensual sex between adults of the some sex. This low hod led to serious discrimination against people engaging in homosexual acts, who were subjected to frequent beatings and blackmail attempts by police, who used the threat of prosecution against them. NGOs working with sexual minorities have also been harassed and sometimes charged under Section 377. By stigmatising homosexuality and threatening gay men with prison, the low is also likely to have impeded the bottle against HIV The provision was read down in July 2009 after on innovative, sustained, mass media campaign by activists. The Voices Against 377 coalition brought together sexuality and lesbian, goy, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organisations, who were previously marginalised, with groups working in areas such as children's rights and feminist groups, showing that support for non-discrimination towards sexual minorities was broad-based. Further legal and social changes are needed for LGBT individuals to gain full acceptance and equality within Indian society However, the judgement transcended the LGBT issue with the implication of protection for all minorities and introduced for the first time in South Asia the idea of sexual citizenship.

• 出版日期2009-11