Bhubaneswar: The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community here today started celebrating as the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality between consenting adults by declaring Section 377, the penal provision which criminalised gay sex, as “manifestly arbitrary”.

“We got independence today. We were cautiously optimistic about SC verdict. There have been positive movements set back by regressive judgments in the past,” said Meghna, a transgender who is celebrating with other LGBT persons at the Master Canteen Square here by distributing sweets, and dancing to tune of music.

Meghna said it is massive victory for human rights

In separate but unanimous verdicts, a five-judge Constitution Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Rohinton Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra partially struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as unconstitutional and said it is no longer an offence for LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, intersex and queer/questioning) community to engage in consensual sex between two adults in private.