• Media Coverage
• 23 Nov 2018, The Telegraph

Six petitions, one aim: The fight-back on Section 377

In July 2009, Delhi High Court read down portions of IPC Section 377 which were used to target homosexual and transgender people.

The 1861 British-era law said that whoever "voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished" for up to 10 years and would be liable to pay a fine.

This 2009 order was overturned in December 2013 by a Supreme Court bench. From then till September 6 this year, LGBTQ sexual relationships were relabelled as criminal.

This year, the Supreme Court heard six petitions before decriminalising gay sex on September 6. The petitioners, from diverse backgrounds, told us what drove them to join the fight.

'Once you are out, you are out'

Earlier this year, Keshav Suri, the executive director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, married his partner of 10 years, Cyril Feuillebois, in Paris where same sex marriage is legal. Same sex marriage is not legal in India.

Suri wanted Cyril to have the recognition of a partner, a status he had enjoyed in France. “We’ve chosen to live here in India, but it is unfair (on Cyril). In France, I have rights as his husband but he has no rights here,” he said.

After the 2013 judgment, Suri was worried. He could not go back into the closet. “Once you are out, you are out,” he said.

This June 26, Suri posted a photo of him and Cyril on Instagram. The caption read: “10 years of being miserable together, I loved every second of it. Lead the way for the next 10 years babe, am sure it will be torture but I am a sucker for punishment.”

“When the judgment came (on September 6, 2018) we were very proud… and it has also opened the next course of action. There is no going back now.”

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