News

Protests Across The Globe Against Indian Supreme Court Judgement On Section 377

By Hadi Hussain

December 14, 2013

The decision taken by the Indian Supreme Court (SC) on 11 December, 2013 regarding the re-criminalization of Section 377 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) has turned out to be a major incident in the history of Indian queer rights movement. It has not only sent a wave of shock among the queer populace of this nation of 1.2 billion people, but has caused anger, pain and disappointment among the Indian queers and their allies who are now holding protests, candle light vigils, marches and planning to fight a legal battle to revoke IPC 377, which is a colonial law made back in 1860.

In this regard, regional, national and international human rights based organizations are joining hands together to register their protest not only across India but across the world. Global Day of Rage is going to be commemorated on Sunday, 15 December, 2013 in major cities of India including: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Nagpur, Sangli, Thrissur and Guwahati while Mysore had a protest today on 14 December, 2013 and Mangalore will have it on Monday, 16 December, 2013.

Globally too, a number of major cities across the world are having protests and candle light vigils in solidarity with Indian queer folks including Ann Arbor, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond and Ithaca, USA; Cambridge and London, UK; Berlin, Germany; Sydney, Australia; and Toronto, Canada. While, Vancouver, Canada; and Artesia, San Francisco and Washington DC, USA held protests and candle light vigils on Friday, 13 December, 2013. (Facebook Event: Global Day of Rage – Worldwide)

Across the border, Pakistani intersectional queer web portal Dayar-e-yaar has also announced another call for their message campaign Mujhay Tum Say kuch Kehna Tha in solidarity with Indian queers and allies as solidarity with the struggle to decriminalize homosexuality in India. All you need to do is write a message of support on a piece of paper. Take its picture and email it to <mujhaytumsaykuchkehnahai@gmail.com> which will be put up anonymously.