The decriminalisation of homosexuality in India

Vikram Kolmannskog, Jayna Kothari and Arif Jafar in conversation with Siri Gloppen (UiB/CMI)

In this breakfast seminar, constitutional law experts and activists will discuss the constitutional developments arising from the recent ruling, the advocacy strategy in India and the response of the Indian judiciary.

Last month, the Supreme Court of India decriminalised ‘unnatural sex’ between consenting adults by reading down section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 377 criminalised homosexual acts and could lead to punishment of up to 10 years in prison.

A result of decades of passionate and creative activism in conjunction with strategic litigation, many hope this landmark verdict will be a turning point for the LGBTQIA movement in India. What lessons can other countries learn from the struggle for the right to love in India? 

Vikram Kolmannskog is a researcher on the LawTransform project Sexual and Reproductive Rights Lawfare: Global Battles. He will discuss his research on queer mobilisation in India, shedding light on how the queer movement has worked towards the decriminalization of homosexuality.

Jayna Kothari is the Co-founder, Centre for Law and Policy Research, Bangalore, and he will join him over Skype. Noted LGBT activist Arif Jafar will also give a video presentation discussing the impact of the verdict on the lives of queer people in India. Jafar was one of the petitioners in the case, and was previously imprisoned under section 377 and Kothari was heavily involved in the court case that declared section 377 unconstitutional.

Professor Siri Gloppen, Director of LawTransform, will moderate the seminar.

The event is free and open to all. Coffee and croissants will be served! 

The seminar is organised by the Centre on Law and Social Transformation.