dear all, please find attached, an invitation for a 'National Strategy meeting on Section 377', being organised together by several groups on the 22nd of December in Delhi. please do forward this to people who are not on these lists but would be interested in coming. please also forward to other relevant lists.
As we expect several activists and people from diverse communities to come, some of us are also getting together to organise a meeting on the 21st, the day before this meeting, to discuss questions and strategies beyond the law. this is just a heads up, so that travel arrangements can be made accordingly. an invitation with details will follow soon. akshay *NATIONAL STRATEGY MEETING ON SECTION 377* In one of the most regressive judgments in its history, the Supreme Court on 11th December 2013 in *Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation, *Civil Appeal 10972/2013, set aside the 2009 judgment of the Delhi High Court and upheld the constitutional validity of Section 377, which criminalises certain sexual acts between consenting adults. By upholding Section 377, the Supreme Court has recriminalized homosexual identities, undoing the gains made through the Delhi High Court. The sense of freedom and equality that was experienced in the last four years by the LGBT community has sought to be snatched away by an institution which is supposed to be the upholder of fundamental rights. In the garb of legal reasoning, the judgment reflects a deep sense of homophobia and distrust of alternate sexualities. Significantly, the response in the media and sections of the political establishment in completely rejecting the judgment has been heartening. A number of important developments have taken place including statements made by prominent Congress leaders, jurists and other intellectuals in support of LGBT rights. The Government has also suggested the possibility of bringing in an ordinance as well as pursuing all legal strategies against the judgment. In these trying times, it is important for us to come together and fight this prejudice, both inside and outside the Supreme Court. The need for a national meeting to discuss the judgment and the future strategy against Section 377was felt. Details of the meeting are: *Date: Sunday, 22nd December, 2013* *Time: 10.00 a.m to 6.00 p.m* *Venue: Jacaranda Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi* We have attached a suggested agenda. The time allocated to each session is flexible. We urge all participants to have local level meetings and present action plans, both legal and non-legal, so that concrete strategies emerge from this one-day meeting. Participants would have to bear the costs of their own travel to, and stay in, Delhi. Please RSVP as soon as possible so that logistics can be planned. The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, Lawyers Collective, Voices Against 377, Alternative Law Forum, Humsafar TrustSangamaand all other groups and activists RSVP: 1. Anjali Gopalan, n...@nazindia.org 2. Mihir Samson, mihirsam...@lawyerscollective.org, 9811233878 3. Lesley Esteves, lesley.este...@gmail.com, 9810297743 4. Arvind Narrain, arv...@altlawforum.org, 9980010933
