LGBTI community of India achieved the decriminalization of homosexuality in the country. The Supreme Court of India issued some weeks ago a decision declaring unconstitutional the standard known as section 377 of the criminal code. After this decision, India became the 124th country in the world to not criminalize homosexuality.
By: Catalina Ibarra
This came after an intense struggle from groups of sexual diversity against such standard. In 2009, the authorities from New Delhi had suspended it, but in 2013 the Supreme Court reestablished the standard after the pressure from many conservative political and social groups.
These recent changes in the law through the last years reflect an important struggle from LGBTI groups in India to guarantee the rights of this population.
The section 377 was one of the oldest LGBTphobic legislations in the world. It was institutionalized in 1861 when the country was a British colony, and had established a penalty of 10 years in prison.
India has more than 1.2 billion inhabitants, and around 18% of the LGBTI population of the world lives there.
The International Workers League supports the struggle against all kinds of oppression, this is why our sections joined many times the struggles of the LGBTI population to defend its rights.
We celebrate this victory of the population, as we do about the recent victory of the trans population in Chile, who conquered a Gender Identity Law after 5 years of struggle.
We know that victories like this are an important step, but unfortunately they are not enough to eradicate the inequality, the criminalization and the violence against the sexually diverse population.
From our sections, we call that such struggles be carried on by the working class, unifying the demands of the whole oppressed population, the oppressed under capitalism, to achieve a free society, without oppression or exploitation. A socialist society.
Translated by: Chico
A victory for the LGBTI population: India decriminalized homosexuality
