Not Everything Sucks: Gay Sex Decriminalized in India

After more than 150 years of discrimination, India has finally decriminalized gay sex as of Thursday, as CNN reports. This marks the second time the law has been repealed. Consensual gay sex was decriminalized in Delhi in 2009, but that only lasted until 2013, when the high court decided that only a small part of the population was affected by the ruling. After a long fight and much rehashing, though, victory has come once again.

It’s a win not only for the Indian community, but also for the global LGBT+ community, and progressives, as well. This rocky road to recognition is a much-needed reminder that change isn’t always as linear as we would hope. Over time, minds and people change.

Thursday, the law progressed; in the coming months and years, the people will, too. Obviously, this is only one issue for Indians, as more conservative Hindu have yet to see LGBTQ+ people as equal. As CNN notes, though, this is already on the minds of activists, as this huge win empowers them to keep fighting and take another step forward. The road to equality may be long, but Indians are more than ready.

In the inferno of our own long list of domestic issues, the news from India on Thursday is a welcome panacea.