A five-judge bench of the country’s highest court ruled on Thursday that a 160-year old law banning sex “against the order of nature” amounted to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and was unconstitutional.
“Sexual orientation is one of the many natural phenomena,” said the Indian chief justice, Dipak Mishra, in his decision. “Any discrimination on basis of sexual orientation amounts to violation of fundamental rights.”
“History owes an apology to members of the community for the delay in ensuring their rights,” wrote another judge on the bench, Indu Malhotra.
This is great news. But obviously this is only the first step. India has 160 years of British-imposed bigotry to overcome, and that's not going to end overnight. But it is a start, and a good one.