New Delhi's gay community celebrated a landmark court ruling Thursday that decriminalizes homosexuality — a decision that could end widespread police harassment and be a harbinger for gradual acceptance for homosexuals across this deeply conservative country.
The Delhi High Court ruled that treating consensual gay sex between adults as a crime is a violation of fundamental rights protected by India's constitution. The ruling, the first of its kind in India, is not binding outside New Delhi.
Hours after the ruling was issued dozens of members of New Delhi's gay community — some with rainbows painted on their faces and others holding signs that read "Queer and loving it" — gathered in the heart of the capital to celebrate.
"I'm so excited and I haven't been able to process the news yet," said Anjali Gopalan, the executive director of the Naz Foundation (India) Trust, the sexual health organization that filed the petition with the court.