Kathmandu:
The gay community in Nepal has expressed their disappointment over the recent Indian Supreme Court's verdict that holds same-gender consensual sex as a legal offence.
"We, the sexual and gender minority community of Nepal strongly disapprove the recent Indian Supreme Court verdict that holds same-gender consensual sex as a legal offence," said a statement issued by Sunil Babu Panta, former Member of Parliament and president of Blue Diamond Society that advocates for gays and lesbians.
Panta has issued an open letter addressed to the Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae, expressing the disapproval to the apex court verdict.
"In Nepal, the sexual and gender minority communities have started enjoying a lot of the human rights that are entitled to every citizens of Nepal, especially after Nepal's Supreme Court's decision in December 2007 which affirmed sexual and gender minority people are natural and deserve equal rights and opportunities," Panta said in the letter.
"Whereas in India, in a complete turn from the Delhi High Court's 2009 judgement, the verdict from the Indian Supreme Court has pushed Indian sexual and gender minority people to the dinosaur era," he said.
The Supreme Court bench, setting aside the Delhi High Court verdict of 2009, stated on Wednesday there was no constitutional room for change in the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Pant said Indian culture is similar to Nepali culture in many ways.
"We also like to request you to convey our request to the Indian Parliament to make other laws which will guarantee the dignity, respect and equal opportunities of sexual and gender minority people in India," Pant wrote.