IT HAS not been easy for gay and lesbian people in the Indian community in the UK to be open about their sexuality.
Over the years they have come to be tolerated, but conventional marriage between a man and a woman remains the accepted norm. Now that India’s supreme court has struck down Section 377, which made homosexuality a criminal offence, perhaps there will be recognition among British Indians that attitudes here have to fit in more with wider social trends which permit same sex couples to enter into civil partnerships and get married.
After last week’s “landmark” supreme court ruling I consulted Peter Tatchell, who is probably the UK’s leading LGBT campaigner.
“I am delighted that the Indian LGBT people in their long struggle have finally got the result they wanted,” he said.
As to whether India should follow Britain’s example, he replied carefully: “Indian people have to choose their own course to secure LGBT freedoms. But, of course, I hope that what has happened in Britain and other Western countries will inspire India.”
He had greeted developments with a tweet: “Historic news! India’s supreme court has decriminalised homosexuality. This ruling sets free from criminalisation almost one
fifth of the world’s gay people. It is the biggest, most impactful gay law reform in human history.”
Leanne MacMillan, director of international campaigns at Stonewall, the prominent LGBT rights group, commented: “This is truly wonderful news and a massive step forward for our lesbian, gay, bi and transgender siblings in India. The momentous ruling comes after
nearly two decades of hard-fought campaigning by Indian LGBT organisations
and activists, and today we are all celebrating their success.”
Until homosexuality was decriminalised in England in 1967, gays were pursued by the police far more aggressively than ever happened in India. In the UK, 50,000 people had to be pardoned under “Alan Turin’s law”. This is named after Alan Turin, a brilliant scientist who was prosecuted in 1952 for homosexual acts.
In 2009, Gordon Brown, as prime minister, made an official public apology on behalf of the government for “the appalling way he was treated”.
The Queen granted Turing a posthumous pardon in 2013.
