Guwahati: Assam's LGBTQ community, like its peers across India, on Thursday celebrated the historic verdict by the Supreme Court that homosexuality is legal.
The verdict declared that Section 377 of the IPC is arbitrary, breaking years of constraints put by the law.
Members of the LGBTQ community across the state marked the day with celebrations and gatherings at cafes. People of the community hailed the verdict and said that their lives have changed with the Constitution coming to their aid and recognising them as any other citizen of the country.
"The apex court has finally undone its mistake they did five years ago. Though I am happy today, I grieve for the lives that were ruined by the 2013 judgment. We are celebrating but the fight for equality does not stop here," said Abhijit Ghosh, an activist.
Assam's foray into the move towards equality was quite late as compared to other states where the LGBT people have been fighting for their rights for nearly two decades. The city witnessed its first LGBT Pride Walk in early 2014 just two months after the Supreme Court overturned the 2009 Delhi High Court judgment of decriminalising homosexuality in 2013.
"I am overwhelmed. A law that has been here for more than 150 years has been finally scrapped. The movement in Assam started in 2013 with a public protest against the Supreme Court judgment, reinstating Section 377. I hope the movement goes forward on a positive note with correct visibility and discourse in media and elsewhere. It feels great not being a criminal anymore," said Shivalal Gautam, an LGBTQ activist.
The city's LGBTQ community, like their counterparts in rest of the country, pinned hope in January after the Supreme Court agreed to reconsider its 2013 decision. But they were still apprehensive about the final judgment.
"In a small town like Tezpur, the LGBT movement is limited to the university and the visibility of the community is also less. I hope people come together and celebrate this day. People outside the community are not much aware about the issues the community faces. A small celebration took place on the Tezpur University campus," said Indrani Kalita, an activist.
The LGBTQ movement rolled into a collective initiative by Xukia, a gay collective, which started in 2013. Annual pride walks, queer film screenings, awareness events and discussions set the gay rights agenda alive in the city.
"All I hope is that people in my hometown Dibrugarh are not bullied anymore for holding their lover's hand or taking a walk together. No one should be scared to declare their love for anyone," said Adi, a student.
