*PEOPLE’S UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES, **Maharashtra State Unit* *invites you for a public meeting on*
*377 and more: the struggles of the past and towards the future...* *Date: Saturday, 29th September, 2018* *Time: 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm* *Venue: YMCA, Colaba* *Speakers:* *Anand Grover, Aravind Narain, Disha Pinky Shaikh, Chayanika Shah, Vijay Hiremath (Chair)* The judgment of the Supreme Court in Navtej Johar and Ors vs Union of India reading down Section 377 of the IPC and decriminalising all consensual sexual acts between adults, is a result of a long struggle by many individuals and organisations for the last two decades and more. Prior to the first legal challenge to 377 being filed in 1994, there was very little conversation on lives of LGBTIQ/Queer people and now post the judgement it has become cover stories of most media houses and a subject of many articles, talk shows, and news reports. The judgement has not only been welcomed by the communities themselves but also lauded by various legal experts for its appropriate reading with the values of the Constitution. PUCL supports this judgement, as we see it as recognition of inherent and intrinsic right and liberty to be enjoyed by any person. With this we see the removal of one of the legal obstacles in the realisation of rights of people to desire, to love, and to make intimate living arrangements in ways that are not acknowledged as normative in current social practices. We see this as enabling further struggles and actions against violence and discrimination faced by many, not only by state and other institutions but also from their near and dear ones. We see this judgement as a beginning to one of the many inequalities being set right for true and complete realisation of rights. As the celebrations settle down and we are back to living our lives, opposition to this judgement already seems to be brewing from right wing parties, heads of religious groups and society at large. It is for this reason that we need to understand better the judgement and its implications to all our everyday life. The struggles are far from over. At this juncture we must examine what the realities of LGBTIQ lives are that led to this coming together. How did this diverse, disparate, and often closeted people manage to build a campaign that has resulted in this judgement of not merely decriminalising consensual sexual relationships but expanding the very concept of personal rights and liberties of the entire society? In the LGBTIQ/Queer umbrella there are different lived realities also marked by their other locations in society. Beyond the fact that this judgement in a way gives everyone the right to love someone and make a life with anyone of their choice, what are the specific issues that face the different queer communities and how will this judgement help these various ongoing struggles? What are our duties and responsibilities as defenders and supporters of civil liberties vis a vis communities and struggles whose rights are neither granted by society nor by law? Apart from the many ways in which this judgement will help queer people, what are its repercussions for the other struggles which are using the judicial route for defence of their constitutional rights? While this and the Right to privacy judgement expand the concept of constitutional rights many other judgements continue to erode people’s rights, how do we read the expansive positive judgements to strengthen other struggles for civil liberties? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
