People expected much better from govt: LGBTQ activist on decriminalization anniversary

Ashok Row Kavi, the Chairperson of an LGBTQ trust on Friday highlighted that suicides have been on the rise within the community despite the Supreme Court's landmark decision last year which overturned Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Speaking to ANI, Kavi highlighted how the community expected marriage recognition and tenancy rights in the aftermath of the widely hailed judgment.

"The eradication of the section was a shock for people, who are still in shock and anticipation. There is a rise in suicides even after this step because people expected much better from the government. They expected simple things like marriage recognition and tenancy rights, equality at the workplace, acceptance from the society," the founder of The Humsafar Trust said.

"After the judgement, they expected that they will actually feel the air of freedom and will get to do what others have access to," he added.

"There is no social acceptance for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community. In India, there is no hatred for the community but the problem is that people are not aware of it. I think the main cause is the lack of sex education in the school. People are still not aware that sex partners are recognised by the law or not," he further stated.

Sharing his views on the laws passed under BJP rule, he added, "Compared to other governments, BJP is open to all this because they have passed Transgender Bill, and Section 377 was decriminalised under them."

On September 6, 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the colonial-era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalised gay sex. A five-judge constitutional bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and comprising Justices DY Chandrachud, Rohinton Fali Nariman, AM Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra, gave the verdict on a bunch of petitions filed to scrap the law.