WB: LGBTQ community celebrates one year of decriminalising Section 377

Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], Sept 14 (ANI): Members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community celebrated one year anniversary of the Supreme Court's verdict on Section 377, which lifted a colonial-era ban on gay sex.

More than a hundred members of the community of the Black Rose Society in North Bengal took out a procession in which the members were seen dressed in bright coloured clothes and dancing on the roads.

"We are taking out a rally today which will end at stadium gate of the city. We are celebrating the Supreme Court's verdict which came last year. We want the identity crisis prevailing in the country to end. Also, we are raising our voice against violence in our community," Souvik Alo Ghoshal, Chairperson, LGBTQ community, North Bengal zone told ANI.

He further said that the scrapping of article 377 was not enough. "The work of building of LBTQ toilets, protecting the rights of our community is also left," he said.

Siladitya Ghosh, another member said: "The rally will highlight the unity of the LGBTQ members. People from NGOs and other members are also supporting this rally. We want administration level support and government support in protecting our rights."

On September 6, 2018, Navtej Singh Johar and other judges of the Supreme Court passed the historic decision of decriminalising Section 377, under which certain sexual activities were categorised as "unnatural offence".