'People who were afraid to come out in the fear of losing their reputation will now do so fearlessly.'
September 6, 2018 will go down as the day love truly became unconditional.
After the Supreme Court struck down Section 377, everyone is rejoicing.
"I am no longer a criminal," film-maker Onir tells Subhash K Jha.
Onir: 'Loving someone is no longer a crime'
What can I say? I am speechless with joy.
The tears can't stop flowing.
I am celebrating by cooking sausages for my entire office.
I am single so I don't have anyone to celebrate this historic moment with.
Hopefully, all my lovers who left me because they were afraid to come out will now look back with regret at the hurt they caused me.
Hopefully, gay people like me will find it easier to find love now.
Loving someone is no longer an act of crime.
I am no longer a criminal.
My congratulations to all those vocal and fearless members of the LGBT community.
Without their relentless fight, this historic day would not have happened.
In my own little way, I have carried on my own fight against this dastardly discrimination.
When I made My Brother...Nikhil about a gay relationship, I could not show any intimacy between my actors,Purab Kohli and Sanjay Suri. This was in 2005.
Thirteen years later, when I showed intimacy between a gay couple in Shab, I was rebuked by members of the censor board with: 'Yeh bacche kaise dekhenge?'
I took the cuts silently.
It has been a year since Shab released in theatres.
We still haven't found any satellite channel willing to buy the film.
When I made I Am, in which a cop was shown bullying a homosexual man into performing oral sex, I had the strength to fight the censor board.
Because that is the reality outside the movie theatre.
Hopefully now, gay film-makers and films will find more acceptance.
The bigotry is, of course, much deeper, but this is a huge step ahead for the gay community.
With the government decriminalising homosexuality, discrimination for jobs and at work places will reduce considerably.
Within our own entertainment industry, there is so much homophobia that will now have to end.
People who were afraid to come out in the fear of losing their reputation will now do so fearlessly.
I hope film-makers make films about the gay community; and not the phoney kind.
Apurva Asrani: 'Nobody has the legal right to discriminate against me anymore'
It's hard to find words when the tears don't stop!
It has been a lifetime of inequality and discrimination.
Of being unfairly deemed a criminal.
Of being the butt of many jokes.
Of knowing that I cannot hold a public office even if I want to.
From today, that will start to change.
How long it will take? Will the road be easy? I have no idea.
All I know is that nobody has the legal right to discriminate against me anymore.
And for that, I am grateful to all the rainbow warriors, starting with Ashok Row Kavi, the good people at Humsafar and Naz, Anjali Gopalan, Anand Grover, Menaka Guruswamy, all the petitioners and every single LGBTQ person who lived through years of darkness.
So much gratitude also to the five justices who truly lived up to their tribe.
Shabana Azmi: 'My warmest regards to those who fought this inhuman Section 377 and made victory possible'
It is barbaric to criminalise people for a consensual relationship.
The concept of family is changing and decriminalising 377 is a very important step towards recognising that everyone has a right to family .
Two fathers and a child, two mothers and a child, a mother and father and a child...
This historic step also helps in recognising that a lot of heterosexual relationships are not 'normal' by any stretch of imagination.
'Normal' is culture-specific and there cannot be one monolithic standard that has sanctity above all else.
My warmest regards to those who fought this inhuman Section 377 and made victory possible.
Dia Mirza: 'What an amazing day!'
About time!
The Supreme Court restores my faith in our people yet again.
I am proud that my country believes in and upholds equality.
Two consenting adults irrespective of sex, religion, cast and gender cannot be rendered criminals by the law.
What an amazing day!
