India gays protest for sodomy law repeal

More than 600 people marched through Mumbai, India, over the weekend in the city's first gay pride parade. While the parade had the marking of most Western pride celebrations, marchers also carried a strong message to the government -- repeal the laws against sodomy. Homosexuality is illegal in India, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. People living with HIV/AIDS are frequently shunned by their families. The sodomy law was enacted during British rule over India. After independence in 1947, the law remained on the books and police regularly enforce it. LGBT rights groups have been campaigning for repeal of the law for nearly a decade. A legal challenge to the law is expected to be heard later this year by the Supreme Court. Among the marchers were several high profile Indian film and television celebrities and a handful of lawmakers. Prior to the parade, there were concerns police would deny a permit for the march. The form was signed and delivered to organizers just hours before it was scheduled to begin. "Closets are for clothes," marchers chanted. Many of them were wearing masks. Organizers of the parade also called on Britain to officially apologize for introducing the sodomy law in the first place. "We call on the British government to apologize for the immense suffering that has resulted from their imposition of Section 377. And we call on the Indian government to abandon this abhorrent alien legacy of the Raj that should have left our shores when the British did," said a statement released to the media by parade organizers.