Shreyasi Bose
Sep 7, 2018 · 2 min read

We, who have always thought raising our voices against something matters, are vindicated in our victory. The Supreme Court of India read down Section 377 yesterday and in effect decriminalised all consensual sex between two individuals that isn’t peno-vaginal. While the same court had earlier called the queer and trans community a “minuscule minority”, it upheld the basic human rights of the community today. The court acknowledged the wrong that had been done to queer and trans people in the name of upholding a draconian law put in place by the British. For this, we rejoice.

The fight to repeal Section 377 had been going on for decades. Lives have been lost, people harassed, put in jail, exploited, broken. People of the community have fought tooth and nail for this verdict. It is a sorry state of affairs that we find this judgement in 2018, but a victory it is nonetheless. Queer and trans people are celebrating all over India. My friend and I cried all day and our hearts were full. Two mentally ill and depressed people spent the entire day laugh crying and with a grin pasted on our faces. This judgment is everything for us. Yesterday, a lot of us found our faith in our fights. Very honestly, I did not expect to see something so huge happen in my lifetime. The fact that it did just restores my faith in the things that matter.

This judgement also brought people a much needed light in the miserable political atmosphere we are dealing with. Activists are held in custody without reason; minorities are being targeted, harassed, lynched; a surveillance tactic is killing its biometrically “protected” citizens; there are rampant scams; journalists are being murdered. We also know that the queer and trans community will continue to be persecuted. They will still be too afraid of coming out. Their parents will still think their kids are sick. People will make homophobic jokes and the police and doctors will not take them seriously. They will be in physical danger in toxic hetero-normative spaces. However this is a win all the same. Our basic rights have been upheld and we have fought to get where we are. In the face of oppression, every little celebration matters.

This doesn’t diminish any other fight. This only gives us the strength to fight more. All that is wrong in this country (and there is a LOT wrong right now) isn’t forgotten. We will continue to raise our voices against the government, the oppressive structure of our society, the rampant racism, casteism,misogyny, transphobia and homophobia.

Judgements like these do more than liberate a community, they bring them closer. The whole country celebrated yesterday. My timeline was a sea of rainbows and smiles; people actively fighting negativity and relishing the moment of victory. We shall carry this win as the source of light that takes us forward.

Shreyasi Bose

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I know when to rattle and when to whistle into my lungs…