India's gays prepare to join the rainbow nation

[IndianaGreen]

India's gays prepare to join the rainbow nation

Government ready to repeal law drafted under the Raj which made homosexuality a criminal offence

By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi

Monday, 29 June 2009

The Indian government is considering rewriting a law drafted more than 100 years ago that criminalises homosexuality. The news emerged as the capital, Delhi, held its second gay rights march yesterday and other cities across the nation played host to similar parades.

Reports suggested that senior ministers would meet soon to discuss how to repeal the so-called Section 377 that makes it a criminal offence for couples of the same gender to have sex. "This section is an absurdity in today's world," a government source said. "The government will certainly move to repeal it."

The battle to change the law has been long and slow. The legislation was drafted by Lord Macaulay in 1860 during British colonial rule and states that "whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment".

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/indias-gays-prepare-to-join-the-rainbow-nation-1722946.html