“gay india does exist”
30 June 2008
On Saturday, for the first time ever, three Indian cities held major gay pride parades. Nearly 1,000 gay activists and supporters took to the streets of New Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata in the biggest gay pride demonstration in India’s history.
Homosexuality is illegal in India under the colonial-era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which outlaws sexual activity “against the order of nature” with a penalty of up to ten years in prison. Other former colonies have repealed similar laws, but India’s remains in effect. The Delhi High Court is set to hear a case this week filed by human rights groups that wish the provision to be repealed for consenting adults.
Anti-gay societal pressures play an enormous role in Indian life, and joint suicides by desperate gay couples are not uncommon. The best known recent case is that of Christy Jayanthi Malar (38) and Rukmani (40), both married women, who immolated themselves in May due to the reactions of their families to their relationship.
