Karan Johar leads Bollywood in hailing SC’s Sec 377 verdict, says country gets its oxygen back

Hindi film actors hailed Supreme Court verdict on Section 377, decriminalising gay sex.

Bollywood personalities on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to decriminalise homosexuality, calling its decision on a colonial era law called Section 377 as “oxygen” for the country. “Historical judgment!!!! So proud today! Decriminalising homosexuality and abolishing #Section377 is a huge thumbs up for humanity and equal rights! The country gets its oxygen back!” said filmmaker Karan Johar on Twitter, reacting minutes after the verdict.

Karan Johar welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on Section 377.

Actor Abhishek Bachchan also celebrated the judgement and wrote on social media, “Well done India”. Sonam Kapoor wrote, “Crying tears of joy for the lgbtqi community. One day there won’t be any labels and we will all live in utopia.”

Aamir Khan also took to Twitter to thank the Supreme Court. “We thank the Supreme Court for its decision to strike down article 377. It is a historic day for people who believe in equal rights for all. The judiciary has done it’s duty, and now we must do ours,” he tweeted with an old episode of Satyameva Jayate.

Dia Mirza and Sonam Kapoor were other celebrities who celebrated the landmark verdict. “Equality for India! Equal love. Equal rights,” wrote Dia, while Sonam shared a map of India in various colours.

The British-era Section 377 treats consensual sexual acts by adults of the same sex as an offence and provides for life in prison. “It had become a weapon for the harassment for LGBT and subject them to discrimination,” Chief Justice Dipak Misra said in his verdict. “Social morality cannot be used to violate the fundamental rights of even a single individual... Constitutional morality cannot be martyred at the altar of social morality,” he added.

Celebrations were seen in many parts of India after the verdict was delivered.