UN chief speaks out against India gay sex ban

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken out in New Delhi against India’s outlawing of gay sex.

Ban made the comments on Monday at the launch of the UN70 celebrations, marking the 70th anniversary of the UN.

“We are all different from one another, but we all have the same human rights. I am proud to stand for the equality of all people, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender,” said Ban.

“I staunchly oppose the criminalisation of homosexuality. I speak out because laws criminalising consensual, adult same-sex relationships violate basic rights to privacy and to freedom from discrimination. Even if they are not enforced, these laws breed intolerance,” he explained.

IBN Live reported that Ban further stated that the “Indian government should really promote the human rights of those people with different sexual orientation, homosexuality. This penal code should be decriminalised for those people of homosexuality.”

Ban, who last year extended marriage benefits to LGBT UN staff, also thanked Bollywood celebrities who joined the UN’s Free & Equal LGBT equality campaign, especially Celina Jaitly and Imran Khan.

In May last year, the Free & Equal campaign released a Bollywood music video to promote LGBT rights, starring Jaitly, an actress and former Miss India.

“They have reached millions of people with a message of equality,” Ban said.

Homosexuality was made illegal in India in December 2013 when the Supreme Court of India reinstated a colonial-era law criminalising gay sex.

It was recently revealed that almost 600 people have been arrested under the law over the past year. Penalties include life imprisonment.