National Debate Over legalising Gay

Delhi High Court judgement legalising gay sex among consenting adults may help thegovt in finalising its stand on decriminalising the penal provision dealing with it but there was no indication as to what it proposes to do. The govt adopted a cautious approach and avoidedany direct reply on what its next move will be following ruling.Gay activists said that though the verdict legalising homosexuality was landmark, there was still a long road towards removing social prejudices. Buoyed by the news that Centre is considering repealing a controversial section of the penal law which criminalises homosexuality, members of the gay community held parades even as the idea did not go down well with religious leaders. Gay rights activists are excited about the news that govt is considering repealing section 377 of the IPC, paving the way for decriminalisation of homosexuality in the country.The activists, who formed an organisation 'Voices Against Section 377' to fight for gay rights, said the judgement will give a "new lease of life to 'Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)' persons who have "all along suffered humiliation".Expressing reservation over the judgement legalising homosexuality, the Catholic Church in Kerala said this would 'open up' the society to 'sexual anarchy'. Father Dominic Immanuel, spokesperson of Catholic Church, strongly disapproving the decision, saying homosexual acts were unnatural and cannot be legalised.But experts feel that the Court ruling could come as a big relief to govt if it is intent on scrapping the 150-year-old provision in the IPC. However, considering the sensitivity of the issue in view of the opposition from religious groups and others, the govt may go slow or would prefer that the issue goes to the Supreme Court if some group approaches it.TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami debates the issue as to why gay sex is opposed with Kamal Faruqui, Chairman, Delhi Minorities Commission, Dr Dominic Emmanuel, Spokesperson & Director, Delhi Catholic ArchDiocese Communication, Anjali Gopalan, Founder and Executive Director NAZ Foundation and Tripti Tandon, Lawyer for Petitioners.