IN PICTURES: LGBT community takes out Queer Swabhiman Pride 2018 in Hyderabad
Members of LGBT community to take out "Pride March 2018" rally demanding the scrapping of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, in Hyderabad on Sunday, 18 February 2018.
Telangana's Hyderabad saw thousands of members from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community taking to the streets, calling out to reclaim their self-respect as well as social inclusivity, on Sunday, 18 February 2018. (Express Photo Se
'The 'Hyderabad Queer Swabhiman Yatra' was an initiative by Hijra, Transgender, Lesbian, Kothi, Gay, Bisexual, Pansexual, Inter-sex, Inter-gender, Asexual, Queer and Allies of Telangana (HTLKGBPIIAQA). (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
An official note read that the HTLKGBPIIAQA is ' individuals and civil society groups working to reclaim our self-respect that is continually under assault by the cultures of silence, invisibilisation, prejudice and violence.' (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
The parade was earlier known as Hyderabad Queer Pride and later evolved to be Hyderabad Queer Swabhimana Kawathu in 2015 after the creation of Telangana, organised by queer individuals and allies building a conversation around HTLKGBPIIAQA lives and realities in collaboration with other social movements and marginalised communities. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
The 'Pride Parade' stretched for 3.5-km from Kachiguda Railway Station to GHMC Playground, Amberpet in Hyderabad, according to ANI. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
Parade-goers marched on the street with rainbow flags and placards, with messages in support of the LGBTQ community. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
The queer Pride also called out for the scrapping of the infamous Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
Section 377 of the IPC refers to 'unnatural offences' and says whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
Gay sex was effectively decriminalised in India in 2009 when the Delhi High Court ruled that banning it violated a person's fundamental rights. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
That ruling emboldened the gay community to campaign publicly against widespread discrimination and violence.(Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
But the Supreme Court reinstated the ban four years later in 2013, saying responsibility for changing the law rested with lawmakers not the courts. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
The Supreme Court had on 08 February announced a review of a hugely controversial ban on gay sex, saying no one should have to live in fear because of their sexuality. The apex court referred to a larger bench a plea by five high-profile people seeking decriminalisation of gay sex between two consenting adults. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
The relook came months after some judges on a nine-judge Constitution Bench, which had held Right to Privacy as a fundamental right, denounced discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
In the privacy judgment, the majority bench had observed that “The effect of Section 377 poses a grave danger to the unhindered fulfilment of one’s sexual orientation, as an element of privacy and dignity.” (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
Legal fraternity, as well as activists have been calling for a total overhaul of the 1869 Indian Penal Code. There is also demand for the Supreme Court's 2013 decision overturning the Delhi High Court verdict decriminalising section 377 of IPC to be reconsidered. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
In 2017, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had brought the Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill seeking changes in Section 377 of IPC (unnatural offence) but it was defeated in the Lok Sabha. (Express Photo Service | R Satish Babu)
