New Delhi, July 03: Even as the gay community erupted with joy after the Delhi High Court’s judgement, activists are readying for future battles for providing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community their rightful place in the society, which may include another legal battle at the apex court.
The Central ministers on Thursday parried away all queries related to what steps the government would take next. While Home Minister P Chidambaram said the matter did not come up for discussion in the Cabinet, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said he would respond after reading the judgement. After eight years of legal battle, the activists admit there are now perceptible changes in people’s attitude about the LGBT community.
“When we started many years ago, there was not much support. But slowly changes happened in people’s attitude,” said Anjali Gopalan, director of Delhi-based Naz Foundation that petitioned the High Court seeking abolition of Section 377.
While the judgement would make the LGBT community’s life easier, it would take a long time to change the societal attitude, she said.
“Definitely there will be more battles in future. But a legal win can catalyse changes in social attitude,” Gopalan said.
The judgement was vehemently opposed by veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi who said society and Parliament are above the judiciary. “One or two judges cannot decide on a societal issue,” he said.
“It gives a new interpretation to sex enshrined in Article 15 of the Constitution. It makes it clear that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited,” said Sumit Baudh from Voices against 377 – a coalition of NGOs and individuals fighting for the rights of the homosexuals.
The judgement comes after other positive changes like inclusion of ‘Other’ as an option in the gender column of the passport and setting up of Aravani Welfare Board by the Tamil Nadu government. Besides many social issues with the eunuch, the increasing trend of men-to-men sex (MSM) is fast becoming a public health issue by spreading HIV/AIDS.
Former Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss stated MSM was a highly vulnerable group and in order to make successful health intervene in this crucial segment, access is needed, which will always be denied till Section 377 was in place.
Reacting to the the High Court judgement, UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe said, “Oppressive laws such as Section 377 drive people underground making it much harder to reach them with HIV prevention, treatment and care services.”
-Agencies