Gay activists protest against SC verdict

New Delhi/Bangalore/ Kolkata: With the Supreme Court setting aside the Delhi High Court order which had decriminalised gay sex, members of the LGBT community held a protest at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kolkata on Wednesday and unanimously agreed to continue fighting for their rights.

New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai too witnessed protests soon after the verdict came out.

Pawan Dhall of NGO 'SAATHII', which works on sexual minorities, said in Kolkata that they would file a curative petition in the apex court and appeal for a review of the judgement.

"The ruling itself is full of contradictions. The 2009 Delhi High Court judgement which had decriminalised gay sex was a landmark ruling, which was appreciated internationally. Now this is strange and very regressive," he said.

Meenakshi Sanyal, who runs Sappho For Equality, said the movement would only grow stronger from now on.

Disappointed with the verdict, Hindi film director Onir, best known for his films on same-sex relationships, hoped that the voice of the homosexual community would only get stronger.

"This is truly disappointing. It has taken us many years back. But now our voice will only get stronger. There is widespread disappointment with this judgement. People from outside the homosexual community are now supporting us in our fight," Onir told reporters.

He said that the verdict has taken the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community ages back.

"In today's democratic India you cannot have laws which are regressive," said Onir who has made films like 'My Brother Nikhil' and 'I Am', both of which dealt with the issue of gay rights.