Litigating on love.
The Centre on Law and Social Transformation is happy to invite you to a breakfast seminar on the decriminalization of homosexuality in India.
Last month, the Supreme Court of India decriminalized ‘unnatural sex’ between consenting adults by reading down section 377 of the Indian Penal code. Section 377 criminalized 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.
In this breakfast seminar, reputed constitutional law experts and activists will discuss the constitutional developments arising from the judgement, the advocacy strategy in India, the response of the Indian judiciary, what the decriminalization means for the LGBTQIA community in India and abroad, and the lessons that other countries could learn from the struggle for the right to love in India.
Vikram Kolmannskog (researcher on the LawTransform project Sexual and Reproductive Rights Lawfare: Global Battles) will discuss his research on queer mobilization in India, shedding light on how the queer movement has worked towards the decriminalization of homosexuality. Jayna Kothari (Co-founder, Centre for Law and Policy Research, Bangalore) 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. Arif was one of the petitioners in the case, and was previously imprisoned under section 377 and Jayna Kothari was heavily involved in the court case that declared section 377 unconstitutional. Siri Gloppen (Director, LawTransform) will moderate the seminar.
Coffee and croissants will be served.
Free and open to all!