The fascinating thing about this debate is that outwardly, it looks like the gay people are being courtmartialled for their sins by the "normal" "morally right" people.

But in the process, there is a systematic disrobing of the hypocrisy, ignorance, bigotry, moral superiority, confusion, fear and hatred embedded in the judges' minds.

To be gay is not a disease and so it can not be corrected by pranayam or psychiatry. Prescribing celibacy to gay people produces as much results as preaching it to straight people. It is shocking to see the level of ignorance among educated people and even influential opinion makers. Most of the fear and hatred for gay people is based on this ignorance. Then there is the bigotry about our "great culture" and the notion that the concept of homosexuality is an import from the west.

It is ridiculous to hear people saying that gay sex is not "natural". Being left handed is also not "natural"?

Gay behaviour is just a tiny part of nature's grand scheme of evolution. We are far away fromm solving this great puzzle of nature. We are waiting for a 21st century Darwin to explain this mystery.

We must realize that there must be space and respect for gay people just like differently abled people.

Regarding Legalisation of Gay Relationship. It's not being a conservatinve Indian - It's just thinking like a rational INDIAN. What are we doing after all? Following the West, talking all the time about the rich Traditions and Culture of a great Country. In the name of freedom we are gratifying our own weired desires. I am sure tomorrow they will legalise Bestiality, Voyeurism, Showing intimate affection in the public and so on - After all 'Love ain't a Crime'. By the way, "WHY DON'T WE GO FOR A NATION WIDE VOTING ON THIS?'

"loving is not crime" but loving with the person of same gender is mental sickness. its a disease and we need doctors and not courts to sort out this issue. its a disease which is found in a particular section of society which is less then 0.5% of indian population. " life is not freedom but it is freedom with responsibilty".
one shld be responisble and shld have control in his feeling

I am really amazed at the opposition to article 377, i am a liberal and believe that everyone should have the right to live his or her life, if we would have left it to the society to decide what's good and whats bad then we still would have Sati and child marriages . 20-30 years from now when we would look back at this judgment, i bet we all would feel relieved. Live and let others live.

We have really made a wrong decision on bringing this kind of law.SC should take real necessary steps to eradicate this law and stand by the decision of our PAST leaders...

It is absolutely shocking! And I am not refering to homosexuality being decriminalised- the homophobia and discrimination people have expressed is atrocious. How can one talk of a united India and being a country different to the west or USA, when there is such hatred towards Indians themselves? From now on gays in India will not have to live in the closet, hiding from their very families on who they really are. People should wake up and realise the sheer damage doing such can do to people. Gays are also daughters and sons, even mothers and fathers. To say that what they do is unnatural is bigotry and considering all of the teachings of Gandhi, the historic tolerance shown towards many religions and creeds, I find it is actually these bigoted opinions that are actually shocking. It is the 21st century!!!

On a lighter note could homosexuality be nature's own way of "population control" ?

Well this indeed is a landmark verdict in terms of human rights, and definitely means a lot to the LBGT community.

But I have a question; can consensual incest (both heterosexual & homosexual) be argued on par with consensual sex between homosexuals?

People who worry about degradation of moral values because of legalizing homosexuality should consider the following.
1. Indian marriages, as a norm, are the most wretched matrimonial arrangements in the world. With exception of few African, Amazonian and Arabian tribes, we may be the only ones who demand money for marrying.
2. The so called sacred heterosexual weddings are mostly decided based on superstitious shams like horoscope and astrology with little regard to the liking or choice of the groom and bride.
3. Even after sixty years of independence, we are still atavistic and tribalistic enough to bone headedly refuse to marry outside our caste.
4. The moral fabric of this supposedly idealistic society is already torn apart by our acceptance of bribery and corruption as norm.
I do not know where these moralists and idealists had been during this continuous process of degradation. Why don't they fight against those social evils instead of messing up with the sexual freedom of others?