London, July 03: The Amnesty International has welcomed Delhi High Court's decision to decriminalise homosexuality, and appealed to other countries to follow India's example.
It said the decision was a significant step towards
ensuring that people in India can express their sexual
orientation or gender identity without fear or discrimination.
"The decision is a significant step towards ensuring
that people in India can express their sexual orientation and
gender identity without fear or discrimination," Amnesty
International's Asia Pacific Deputy Director Madhu Malhotra
said.
"This British colonial legacy has done untold harm to
generations of individuals in India and across the
Commonwealth," Malhotra said.
We urges the Indian government to address abuse and
discrimination by police and other officials and take measures
to end it on the basis of sexual orientation and gender
identity in access to economic, social and cultural rights,
including housing, employment and health services, she said.
The Naz Foundation, an Indian sexual rights organisation
which brought the case against Section 377, told Amnesty
International that "it's an incredible day, it's been a long
battle".
It said, "today homosexuality has been decriminalised
but not legalised. It is a baby step but finally India has
entered the 21st century."
Amnesty International asked countries that continued to
criminalise homosexuality to follow India's example and repeal
those laws.
The majority of these laws are retained within
Commonwealth countries.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, July 03, 2009, 21:59