For Indians across the country, 6 September 2018 will be remembered as the day the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality and scrapped the parts of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which criminalised acts of sex between consenting adults.
From Chennai to Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and many other parts of India, citizens celebrated the victory for fundamental rights and freedom.
Just across the border, India’s neighbour Pakistan joined in to congratulate India on the good tidings and the victory in the fight for equal rights for all citizens of India.
Journalists were first to congratulate India on the judgment, which scrapped parts of the archaic law that criminalised same sex relationships.
Eyinah, the author of Pakistan's first anti-homophobia children's book, My Chacha Is Gay, also congratulated India on the massive judgment.
Reacting to the judgment, she said, “I’m so thrilled to hear this historic news coming from India. It’s an incredible step forward, towards progress and equality for all. I hope there will be many more steps to come! I also hope that India can serve as an example to others in the subcontinent regarding this, like my motherland, Pakistan. The fact that this news comes during a time of rising far-right politics around the world makes me especially hopeful for the future.”
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