JOIN USUN welcomes Supreme Court verdict on Sec 377
The United Nations in India on Thursday welcomed the "landmark ruling" by Supreme Court striking down a key component of Section 377, a law "dating back to British colonial rule that has targeted" in particular lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) individuals.
In a statement, the UN in India said, "Sexual orientation and gender expression form an integral part of an individual’s identity the world over, and violence, stigma and discrimination based on these attributes constitute an egregious violation of human rights."
It said the LGBTI persons across the world continue to be the targets of violent attacks and are affected by multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on age, gender, ethnicity, disability and social status.
"The UN in India sincerely hopes that the ruling will be the first step towards guaranteeing the full range of fundamental rights to LGBTI persons," the statement said.
"We also hope that the judgement will boost efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination against LGBTI persons in all areas of social, economic, cultural and political activity, thereby ensuring a truly inclusive society. The focus must now be on ensuring access to justice, including remedy, effective investigations of acts of violence and discrimination; and effective access to economic, social and cultural rights," it added.