Md. Afzal Hussain (Rubel)
3rd october, 2025
For decades, Section 377 of the penal code cast a long shadow over millions of lives. This colonial-era law, which criminalized “unnatural” sexual relations, was not only vague but also cruelly used to target LGBTQ+ individuals. It reduced love to a crime and identity to a stigma.
The law was never just about legality; it was about dignity. Section 377 told queer people that their very existence was “against the order of nature.” In reality, it was the law itself that was against the order of justice, freedom, and equality. By denying people the right to love freely, it stripped them of the most basic human right—the right to be themselves.
Its abolition is more than a legal victory—it is a moral correction. When courts struck it down, they did not grant “special rights” to LGBTQ+ people; they simply affirmed that all citizens deserve equal protection under the law. Love between consenting adults cannot and should not be a crime.
But decriminalization is only the beginning. LGBTQ+ rights must go beyond the courtroom. Schools must teach acceptance, workplaces must guarantee equality, and healthcare systems must offer dignity without discrimination. The battle is not only against laws, but against prejudice.
If democracy is about freedom, then it must also be about the freedom to love. Section 377 may be history, but our responsibility is to ensure that discrimination does not find new disguises. Real progress lies in creating a society where no one has to hide who they are, where rainbow flags are not symbols of defiance but of belonging.
In the end, the question is simple: Do we want to live in a society that punishes love, or one that celebrates it?