SC verdict on Article 377: LGBT members hold pride parade in Mumbai - WATCH

The Humsafar Trust has welcomed the historic SC ruling decriminalising gay sex in India.

Image Credit: ANI

MUMBAI: The Humsafar Trust, which has been spearheading the fight for equal rights to the LGBT community members, on Thursday welcomed the historic Supreme Court verdict decriminalising homosexuality in the country.

The trust founded by Ashok Rao Kawi said, ''Today's SC verdict will help eliminate stigma and discrimination against the LGBTIQ community. It is a historic verdict and we al welcome it.''

Hailing the top court verdict, several members of the LGBT community held a pride parade in Mumbai.

WATCH the LGBT pride parade here.

#WATCH: Humsafar Trust takes out LGBT pride parade in Mumbai after Supreme Court legalises homosexuality. #Section377 pic.twitter.com/BVo7csNX5a

— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2018

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality between consenting adults by declaring Section 377, the penal provision which criminalised gay sex, as "manifestly arbitrary".

In separate but unanimous verdicts, a five-judge Constitution Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Rohinton Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra partially struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as unconstitutional.

The bench said it is no longer an offence for LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, intersex and queer/questioning) community to engage in consensual sex between two adults in private.

Reading out the judgement, Chief Justice Misra said attitudes and mentality have to change to accept others' identity and accept what they are, and not what they should be. 

"It is the constitutional and not social morality which will prevail," said the court. 

The verdict sparked celebrations in the LGBTIQ community across India even as the judgement was being read out. Many of the community members who had assembled outside the apex court jumped in joy and distributed sweets. 

Chief Justice Misra said consensual sex between adults in a private space, which is not harmful to women or children, cannot be denied as it is a matter of individual choice. 

Section 377 will not apply to consensual same-sex acts between homosexuals, heterosexuals, lesbians, the court said, clarifying that sexual act without consent and bestiality will continue to be an offence under section 377.

"An individual has full liberty over his or her body and his or her sexual orientation is a matter of one's choice," said the Chief Justice.

"Time to bid adieu to prejudicial perceptions deeply ingrained in social mindset. Time to empower LGBTIQ community against discrimination. They should be allowed to make their choices," he added.

In a concurring judgement, Justice Nariman said homosexuality is "not a mental disorder or disease".

He said the LGBTIQ community has an equal right to live with dignity and are entitled to equal protection of law. He directed the Centre to give wide publicity to this judgment to remove the stigma attached to homosexuality.

Justice Chandrachud said to deny the LGBTIQ community their right to sexual orientation is a denial of their citizenship and a violation of their privacy.

"They cannot be pushed into obscurity by an oppressive colonial legislation... Sexual minorities in India have lived in fear, hiding as second class citizens," said Justice Chandrachud, adding "the state has no business to intrude on such matters".

Justice Indu Malhotra said that history owes an apology to the LGBTIQ community for all that they have suffered on account of the ignorance of the majority about homosexuality. 

"LGBTIQ people have a right to live unshackled from the shadow," she said.