Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has approved a bill seeking to decriminalize homosexuality, a move that has been welcomed by LGBTQ+ activists. Currently, homosexuality is punishable by a prison sentence and a fine in the country, and activists have been campaigning for years to change the law. The private member’s bill was presented in parliament last month, and after hearing petitions from both sides of the argument, the Supreme Court ruled that the bill is not unconstitutional.
This decision is seen as a “historic development” by campaigners and has created hope towards real change. However, activists still need to lobby for support from the 225 parliamentarians to push the proposed legislation through parliament. It is unclear whether the government or the opposition supports the bill, which was proposed for consideration by an individual member of parliament. The next steps for the bill to become legislation or not are not yet clear.
For the LGBTQ+ community in Sri Lanka, there is still a long way to go. This decision marks a major step forward, but more work needs to be done to ensure equal rights and protections for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.