The world reacts to India’s landmark ruling to end gay sex ban (Photo: Twitter)
The world’s LGBTI community and allies took to the internet on Thursday (6 September) to congratulate India on its historic decision to overturn a gay sex ban.
India’s Supreme Court ruled parts of Section 377 of the Penal Code were unconstitutional and violated rights to privacy.
India has a population of 1.3 billion and an estimated LGBTI population of 78 million. That makes this the biggest decriminalization verdict in history.
‘Bodily autonomy is individualistic. Expression of intimacy is part of right to privacy,’ Chief Justices of India Misra and Khanwilkar said in their judgment.
From fashion designers to politicians, LGBTI people and allies around the world took to the internet to voice solidarity with India’s triumph.
The UK’s television star Stephen Fry said he felt especially happy for ‘those who have felt afraid and disconnected from their country’.
So very happy for the people of India: especially those who have felt afraid and disconnected from their country. It was a vile old British law and it’s wonderful to see it finally overturned. https://t.co/h9o3V1egT5
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) September 6, 2018
A British member of parliament and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry celebrated the end of ‘nasty anti-gay legislation’.
Great news this morning>>
The Indian supreme court has overturned the nasty anti-gay legislation we imposed on them in colonial times. “We won’t be criminals in our own country any more”🇮🇳💃💃🏳️🌈🌄🏳️🌈🕺🕺🇮🇳https://t.co/hR7rr30Ra8
— Emily Thornberry (@EmilyThornberry) September 6, 2018
English fashion designer and television personality Tan France said it was a ‘major step forward’ on Instagram.
Ireland’s Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said it was an ‘enormous step forward’. Varadkar is of Indian descent and became Ireland’s first openly gay minister in 2015.
Enormous step forward for a country of 1.4bn people https://t.co/zzt0SBUG45
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) September 6, 2018
American actress, comedian and writer Wanda Sykes also tweeted her support.
Love is Love!❤️ 🌈 https://t.co/ksEvBg4Oe3
— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) September 6, 2018
