India Gay Ruling: Local Media Reacts With Glee

The HuffPost has rounded up some of the reactions across India's media to today's decriminalization of homosexuality by the Delhi High Court:

NDTV called the Delhi ruling a "revolutionary verdict", saying that India has become the 127th country to legalize homosexuality.

A headline in the Indian Express quotes the High Court's position that "Homosexuality is not a mental disorder."

The Times of India has reported Bollywood's approval of the ruling and quotes filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt: "This is a defining moment in the history of free India. No state has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only 'queer' people are those who propagate hate."

The Hindustan Times emphasises the UN's approval of the ruling. The UN said it believed the decision could act set a precedence for countries who currently outlaw gay sex.

Indipepal writes that a similar petition had been rejected by the same court in 2001 and concludes that activism played an important part in bringing about today's ruling: "It is clear that this latest ruling is a reflection of increased activism by gay rights groups and high profiled supporters like Bollywood actress and Former Miss World Celina Jaitley, along with a more progressive government."

The court ruling is repeatedly quoted by ZeeNews who calls it a "pathbreaking judgement". Zeenews quotes the ruling: "It cannot be forgotten that discrimination is antithesis of equality and that it is the recognition of equality which will foster dignity of every individual."

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Comments

[DD1Prime]

Muslim, Hindu, and Christian religious parties have vowed to reverse this action through the legislature and/or further court action. This may be the first event in the country to unify groups who in normal times agree on little else (and sometimes riot and kill each other).

In a way, this is a double win for India - scrapping outdated - and unenforceable - Colonial-era law and getting religious parties to stop fighting each other.

[Khirad]

Shabash!

And, yeah, of course Bollywood cheered it. That's about as shocking as Hollywood being progressive. Example,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4dUNK_DA_I

I'm just imagining the Sangh Parivar in a conniption fit right now! Yay!!!

[Unique71]

Alright India!!!!!­....Good for you!

[PhilipB]

Yes!

[XXYR]

There have been gay people in every part of every civilization since the dawn of time. Good for Indians to take this step towards accepting the truth of humanity.

[BadgersBite]

Thats so gay...

[didntvote4thedude]

Ben bend over.

[truthartbeauty]

progress is slow. people believed all sorts of totally insane stuff not so long ago, and of course many people today are wrong, mean spirited, uneducated, dull, stupid and bigoted too. we'll never get rid of that but this is a step of course in the right direction, whether it bothers the bigots or not.

[yankees]

I'm happy for the Gay Community but India has much worse problems of discrimination within their tiered society. Hopefully the country will change with as much aggressiveness and enthusiasm it did with the Gay Issue.

[Tenjikuronin]

Change what?

[Khirad]

Hopefully, not like they haven't been workin' on it either.

[JeffmChicago]

Good for India! Now, maybe, just maybe, the US military will put an end to Don't Ask Don't Tell.

You got next President Obama.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Good for India.