Protest march on R-Day over SC order on homosexuality

Members of various rights groups, civil society activists and scores of lesbian and gay people will hold a protest march here on the Republic Day to demand a roll back of the ban on homosexuality.
As per the schedule, all participants will assemble at Barakhamba Road-Tolstoy Road Crossing and march towards Jantar Mantar at 2.30 pm, Lesbian rights activist Lesley Esteves said.
Between 4 pm and 6 pm, several activists working for the rights of women, labourers, Dalits, children and other issues will participate in a programme named 'We The People, Reclaim our Republic'.
"With the recent Supreme Court verdict which upheld Section 377 of the IPC, members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community are effectively being denied rights which are there in the Constitution," Lesley said.

"We want to ask the government if we are part of the India's Republic which will be celebrated on Sunday. We also want that the government be made accountable for the protection of our rights as per the Constitution," she said.
The Supreme Court last month, setting aside the 2009 Delhi High Court order, observed that Section 377 is a valid constitutional provision and criminalised homosexuality.