Indian Supreme Court decriminalizes homosexuality

In a unanimous decision, India’s Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a long-standing law that made homosexual relations punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The law, Section 377, held that intercourse between members of the same sex violated the laws of nature. The court ruled that sexual orientation is a “biological phenomenon,” making discrimination on that basis a violation of fundamental rights. It also ruled that Section 377 was used as a weapon to discriminate against gay and lesbian people in India. Parts of Section 377 were left standing, such as the portion criminalizing bestiality.

Five petitioners originally challenged the law, arguing it was discriminatory and led to harassment and persecution of homosexuals. Arun Kumar, a spokesman for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organization of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said the group doesn’t think homosexuality should be a crime, but noted that “same-sex marriage and relationships are neither natural nor desirable.”