[Niamh.]

Talk about going backwards


India's top court has upheld a law which criminalises gay sex, in a ruling seen as a major blow to gay rights.

The Supreme Court ruling reverses a landmark 2009 Delhi High Court order which had decriminalised homosexual acts.

The court said it was up to parliament to legislate on the issue.

According to Section 377, a 153-year-old colonial law, a same-sex relationship is an "unnatural offence" and punishable by a 10-year jail term.

Several political, social and religious groups had petitioned the Supreme Court to have the law reinstated in the wake of the 2009 court ruling.

Correspondents say although the law has rarely - if ever - been used to prosecute anyone for consensual sex, it has often been used by the police to harass homosexuals.

Also, in deeply conservative India, homosexuality is a taboo and many people still regard same-sex relationships as illegitimate.

'Black day'
"It is up to parliament to legislate on this issue," Justice GS Singhvi, the head of the two-judge Supreme Court bench, said in Wednesday's ruling, which came on his last day before retiring.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-25329065

[Shaun]

Depressing.

[Livia]

On the one hand trying to portay itself as a forward-thinking commercial and technological player on the world stage, and on the other hand acting like a medieval backwater. Way to go, India...

[zakman440]

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

On the one hand trying to portay itself as a forward-thinking commercial and technological player on the world stage, and on the other hand acting like a medieval backwater. Way to go, India...

This post says it all really.
Not a good day for India at all.

[Jarrod]

Well. This is a strange step backwards.

[Gstar]

How about they pay more attention to forcing their kids to marry their cousins

[Nemo123]

My feelings are, in general, nobody would want to be Gay. Everyone would rather be straight, have a spouse and children. But you are what you are. So a law banning homosexuality is as old an outdated as the old cars they drive there.

[Mystic Mock]

Going back to the Medieval Times is not exactly gonna help the people of India is it? Stupid Court System.

[Nedusa]

What a strange decision by the Indian Court, sends out very mixed messages to the Indian Public , on the one hand gang rape of young girls by groups of men is commonplace and condoned by many sections of the Indian establishment yet two people of the same sex wanting to make their commitment public are now threatened with lengthy prison sentences..

What a strange country indeed....!!!!

[Nedusa]

Looks like the Capital of Australia ie Australia Capital territories has repealed their law allowing Gay Marriage , so effectively Gay marriage is now illegal there.

This is another example of taking a backward step, and following on the heels of the Indian ruling and the recent ruling by Russia to ban Gay rallies etc suggests while half the World is trying to move forward on LBGT issues the other half is moving backwards.

Hard to understand why this is going on...????

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

Looks like the Capital of Australia ie Australia Capital territories has repealed their law allowing Gay Marriage , so effectively Gay marriage is now illegal there.

This is another example of taking a backward step, and following on the heels of the Indian ruling and the recent ruling by Russia to ban Gay rallies etc suggests while half the World is trying to move forward on LBGT issues the other half is moving backwards.

Hard to understand why this is going on...????

Oh wow, i hadn't heard this, in a way that's even more surprising and disappointing then the Indian story

[the truth]

I think males having sex with each other or women being lesbians is all fine and dandy....though the whole issue of marriage to me is trivial....a civil partnership has all the same rights....so why enforce marriage on Churches? let each Church decide
besides this is india its the other side of the world and its none of my business
meanwhile tens of thousands die HERE IN THIS COUNTRY FROM NEGLECT AND ABUSE IN HOMES AND HOSPITALS...CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME