World | India India Legalizes Gay Sex High court's decision hailed as 'India's Stonewall' By Rob Quinn Posted Jul 2, 2009 3:57 AM CDT Copied Pparticipants dance as they hold a placard demanding the dropping of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that makes homosexuality illegal, during a gay parade in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan, File) An Indian court has struck down a colonial-era law that declared gay sex an "unnatural offense" and made it punishable by up to 10 years in jail, the BBC reports. The court ruled that the 150-year statute violated the rights of citizens by criminalizing consensual acts. India's gay rights campaigners hailed the decision as "India's Stonewall," but warned that gays still face widespread persecution. Read These Next After Kennedy Center name change, holiday jazz concert is canceled. President mixes in a coal joke in Christmas Eve call with kids. In this murder, arresting the boyfriend was a big mistake. Two hospitalized after ICE shooting near Baltimore. Report an error