Dear friends –
It's still a crime to be gay in India. But that could change any day now.
LGBT+ activists have been fighting for years against the country's discriminatory law, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
A remnant of British colonialism, the law states that anyone engaged in same-sex activity can be thrown in jail for life.
The Supreme Court began re-examining Section 377 this week and could make a decision any day now. But the fight for safety and equality won't end there. Years under Section 377 has led to a lot of misinformation and distrust of LGBT+ people in India.
That's why our partners at Jhatkaa.org want to launch a HUGE campaign to change hearts and minds across India's national capital, New Delhi.
With your help, they'll put giant billboards around the city promoting acceptance of queer people and a helpline. These billboards will be seen by MILLIONS of people.
The pushback has already begun. One prominent member of Parliament said this week that being gay "is not normal" and needs "medical research to see if it can be cured."
There were more than 2,100 cases of people convicted under Section 377 in 2016 alone. Family members and police set people up in an effort to catch them with same-sex partners. Once arrested, heinous abuse and humiliation in jail are far too common.
There's a lot of work to be done on the ground to help change hearts and minds. All eyes are on the LGBT+ community in India and we need to make sure the RIGHT messages get out there.
Thanks for going All Out,
Yuri Guaiana
Senior Campaigner
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