It was indeed a huge milestone when India's Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality in 2018. This time, in 2021, there's something even better for the citizens in the country to celebrate and be proud about.
The Supreme Court Collegium has suggested that senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal be elevated as a judge of the Delhi High Court, which will be a major step forward for the LGBTQ community in India.
Kirpal would make history as the first openly gay judge to fill the office if he is appointed. The meeting has not yet been confirmed.
It is to be noted that Kirpal was proposed for promotion in 2017, but his appointment was postponed due to reports of sexual orientation opposition.
The 49-year-old lawyer is Bhupinder Nath Kirpal's son, who served as India's 31st Chief Justice from May to November 2002.
Kirpal has been a Supreme Court lawyer for more than two decades. He also represented Navtej Johar, Ritu Dalmia, and others in the well-known case that resulted in the groundbreaking repeal of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code in 2018, effectively decriminalising gay sex.
He is a board member of the Naz Foundation Trust, a Delhi-based NGO that has been in the vanguard of India's campaign against Section 377, and has published an anthology titled "Sex and the Supreme Court: How the Law is Upholding the Dignity of the Indian Citizen."
As the Supreme Court takes a major step forward for the LGBTQ community in India, have a look at how netizens have reacted on Twitter as they applaud the country for taking steps towards progress.
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