Four years ago on this day, the Supreme Court partially struck down Section 377 of the IPC, decriminalising same-sex relationship between consenting adults.

However, on the fourth anniversary of the verdict, queer activists in Kolkata, which hosted India’s as well as South Asia’s first Queer Pride walk way back on July 2, 1999, said the members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community still face public humiliations and harassments. Pawan Dhall, founding trustee of Varta Trust in Kolkata, said the partial striking down of Section 377 was just the beginning where consenting adults having same-sex relations get legal shield against prosecution.