Odisha News, Odisha Latest news, Odisha Daily - OrissaPOST
  • Home
  • Trending
  • State
  • Metro
  • National
  • International
  • Business
  • Feature
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • More..
    • Odisha Special
    • Editorial
    • Opinion
    • Careers
    • Sci-Tech
    • Timeout
    • Horoscope
    • Today’s Pic
  • Video
  • Epaper
  • News in Odia
  • Home
  • Trending
  • State
  • Metro
  • National
  • International
  • Business
  • Feature
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • More..
    • Odisha Special
    • Editorial
    • Opinion
    • Careers
    • Sci-Tech
    • Timeout
    • Horoscope
    • Today’s Pic
  • Video
  • Epaper
  • News in Odia
No Result
View All Result
OrissaPOST - Odisha Latest news, English Daily -
No Result
View All Result

Two years since annulment of Article 377, India’s LGBTQ community continues to battle prejudice

PTI
Updated: September 6th, 2020, 11:36 IST
in National
0
(Image courtesy: PTI)

(Image courtesy: PTI)

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on Linkedin

New Delhi: Rishabh Singh vividly remembers September 6, 2018, the day he says his life changed.

Two years ago on this day, the Supreme Court had struck down the draconian Article 377 that criminalised gay sex. The same day Singh told his parents about his sexual orientation.

Also Read

Jolt to BJP: Social media influencer Manish Kashyap joins Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party

3 hours ago

Delhi HC junks Turkish firm’s plea against revocation of security clearance

4 hours ago

“I think having that in the back of my mind that even the apex court of the country believes I am not a criminal gave me the confidence to come out of the closet and explain my sexual orientation to my parents,” he said.

Two years on, Singh says he now considers that date as his second birthday when he was born again as an individual who was more free, confident and relaxed.

“It was the first step but I do think the time for the next step has come now. The inequality still blatantly exists in society’s mindset towards us whether it is in terms of inheritance laws or surrogacy laws –  there is still a long, long road ahead of us,” Singh, the techie from Mumbai, said.

But Sunaina (name changed), an interior designer, says her life has not changed much since the verdict.

“The reason I can’t publicly identify myself is itself a proof that acceptance from society is difficult. I belong to a middle class family where even discussion over the subject of homosexuality is forbidden. Let alone coming out to my parents about being one. The verdict did good to us though. We are at least not considered criminals anymore but the mindset of the society is still the same,” she said.

The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement on September 6, 2018, unanimously struck down part of the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalised gay sex, saying that it violated the constitutional right to equality and dignity.

Section 377 declared ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’ punishable by imprisonment for life.

The judgement was widely welcomed by most sections of society, especially the youth who called it a victory of love.

Both Singh and Sunaina say they remember celebrating that whole night two years ago even though they constantly were thinking about ‘what’s next?’ Shubhankar Chakravorty, a Bengaluru-based writer, says the next move should be to extend the same civil rights to the LGBT population that the straight population enjoys.

“LGBT people are too taxpaying, law-abiding citizens, they have every right to the same privileges,” he said.

“Things have surely changed. LGBT people are now more confident to express themselves, grow personally, and own their relationships without the fear of discrimination and harassment. However, this change has primarily been for the urban, privileged few. Also, the lives of transgender people have not really improved much,” Chakravorty said.

Bittu Kondaiah, a trans-man, agrees with Chakravorty that the SC verdict did not do much for the transgender community.

“But it did ensure that there was one lesser section (of gay community) to get targeted by society. The midset that the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community can be easily exploited as they have no one who cares about them, that mindset has changed,” he said.

Anjali Gopalan, a member of Naz Foundation, an NGO that has been at the forefront of the battle against Section 377, said the community has become a lot stronger since the verdict but there are more rights that it needs to be given.

“The LGBT community does not have any rights per say which society takes for granted like the right to marriage, inheritance so these are rights that should be there for everyone in society. Unfortunately, the LGBT community has been left out of it and that is something that needs to happen,” she said.

Tripti Tandon, lawyer and deputy director of Lawyers Collective, said it has been seen that the judgement gave many from the LGBT community the confidence to live their lives on their own terms.

“But unfortunately society still has not changed its mindset and that is the reason why the community members who take such steps of staying with their partners or moving away face a lot of violence and hostility and harassment from their parents,” Tandon, who was among the members of the team to fight the case in the apex court, said.

“The government needs to step in. The government really hasn’t done anything. If the government were to take some steps, then the message would go out very clearly in society that these relationships are not to be looked down upon,” she added.

Divya Dureja, a counselling psychologist and LGBTQIA+ wellness advocate, said there are still inadequacies in the “free and fair rights” of the LGBTQ community members.

“When will the state begin to recognise non-hetrosexual unions? How do we address the homelessness, bullying, violence, workplace discrimination still being faced by the members of the LGBTQ community and how can you give support to queer population drowning in mental health conditions,” she asked.

She said even though the gay community has found some respite from being targeted now that Section 377 has been struck down, crimes and harassment against trans folks and lesbians still continue under the present laws.

Akhila Sivadas, the managing trustee and executive director of the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), a non-profit organisation said while the significance of this ruling to decriminalise homosexuality cannot be reduced, the process of social inclusion and acceptance now assumes even greater importance.

PTI

Tags: article 377IndiaLGBTQQueerSupreme Court
ShareTweetSendShare
Suggest A Correction

Enter your email to get our daily news in your inbox.

 

OrissaPOST epaper Sunday POST OrissaPOST epaper

Click Here: Plastic Free Odisha

#MyPaperBagChallenge

Adrita Bhattacharya

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Bijswajit Pradhan

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Kamana Singh

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Sarmistha Nayak

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Keshab Chandra Rout

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Praptimayee Biswal

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Swarit Praharaj

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Diptiranjan Biswal

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Tabish Maaz

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Subhajyoti Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Rajashree Pravati Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Ankita Balabantray

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Anasuya Sahoo

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Ramakanta Sahoo

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Adweeti Bhattacharya

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Rajashree Manasa Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Archana Parida

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Archit Mohapatra

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Adyasha Priyadarsani Sendha

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Pragyan Priyambada

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Jhili Jena

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Chinmay Kumar Routray

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Pratik Kumar Ghibela

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Aishwarya Ranjan Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Sitakanta Mohanty

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

D Rama Rao

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Amritansh Mishra

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Matrumangal Jena

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Sisirkumar Maharana

December 12, 2019
#MyPaperBagChallenge

Priyasha Pradhan

December 12, 2019

Archives

Editorial

Acknowledge Failure

Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh
July 7, 2025

Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh’s candid revelations about Operation Sindoor at a FICCI event ‘New...

Read more

Politics of Philosophy

AAKAR PATEL
July 6, 2025

The BJP’s constitution (Article 3) says, “Integral Humanism shall be the philosophy of the party.” The party’s membership form has...

Read more

India’s Spy Shift

July 5, 2025

India’s espionage architecture is quietly shifting. The appointment of Parag Jain as the new chief of RAW comes at a...

Read more

Hungary Lessons

Hungary
July 2, 2025

Revolting against oppression and seeking freedom is ingrained in human nature, something that a repressive regime finds out sooner or...

Read more
  • Home
  • State
  • Metro
  • National
  • International
  • Business
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
Developed By Ratna Technology

© 2024 All rights Reserved by OrissaPOST

  • News in Odia
  • Orissa POST Epaper
  • Video
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Metro
  • State
  • Odisha Special
  • National
  • International
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Editorial
  • Entertainment
  • Horoscope
  • Careers
  • Feature
  • Today’s Pic
  • Opinion
  • Sci-Tech
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs

© 2024 All rights Reserved by OrissaPOST

    • News in Odia
    • Orissa POST Epaper
    • Video
    • Home
    • Trending
    • Metro
    • State
    • Odisha Special
    • National
    • International
    • Sports
    • Business
    • Editorial
    • Entertainment
    • Horoscope
    • Careers
    • Feature
    • Today’s Pic
    • Opinion
    • Sci-Tech
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Jobs

    © 2024 All rights Reserved by OrissaPOST