377 Updates / 377 சமீபத்திய தகவல்கள்

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பிப்ரவரி  7, 2011: ஒருபாலீர்ப்பை குற்றமற்றதாக்கிய 377 சட்டவழக்கில் புதிய திருப்பம் ஏற்ப்பட்டுள்ளது. உச்ச நீதிமன்றம், தில்லி உயர்நீதி மன்ற தீர்ப்பை எதிர்த்தும், ஆதரித்தும் அணைத்து மனுதார்களின் தரப்பிலும் இறுதி மனுக்களை பரிசீலனைக்கு ஏற்றுக்கொண்டது.  இந்த மனுக்களில் கீழ்கண்ட சராசரி சமுதாய அங்கத்தினர்களின் மனுக்களும் அடங்கும். இவை மிகவும் முக்கியத்துவம் வாய்ந்தவை.

Image courtesy:Washington Post

“We declare that Section 377 IPC, insofar as it criminalises consensual sexual acts of adults in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution” – Chief Justice Shah and Justice Muralidhar, Delhi High Court

On July 2, 2009, Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S. Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court transformed the lives of India’s LGBT citizens by their momentous ruling in the Naz Foundation case. For more on this, see full ruling of DHC  here, primer compiled by Alternate Law Forum here, and the absolutely-must-read account of the verdict by Kajal Bhardwaj here.

Since then, there have been several interventions by parties against the verdict, and a few in support of it. In a significant development on February 7, 2011, all the final applications for interventions by parties interested in the Naz verdict came up before a Supreme Court bench comprising of Justices Singhvi and Ganguly. These included a few against the verdict, but also for the first time, applications from civil society supporting it. The Supreme Court will hear the pleas on April 19, 2011. Click the links below to read about the supportive interventions and media coverage of these.

1) A group of 19 parents of lesbian, bi, gay and transgender children
2) A group of 16 leading academics
3) Shyam Benegal, independent filmmaker and member of the Rajya Sabha
4) A group of 13 leading mental health professionals

Media

Since 2009, prior to the interventions around Section 377, parents, friends, health-care professionals and members of the LGBT communities have been calling for non-discrimination and equal rights by participating in the ongoing Campaign for Open Minds. Some of the signatories on the CFOM letters have also gone on to support the 377 intervention. If you or anyone you know would like to lend their voices/names in support, please consider signing on to the relevant letters on the Orinam.net site.
Since 2009, prior to the interventions around Section 377, parents, friends, health-care professionals and members of the LGBT communities have been calling for non-discrimination and equal rights by participating in the ongoing Campaign for Open Minds. Some of the signatories on the CFOM letters have also gone on to support the 377 intervention. If you or anyone you know would like to lend their voices/names in support, please consider signing on to the relevant letters on the Orinam.net site.