Facebook solidarity event 'Gay For A Day' went viral with thousands of people sharing affectionate pictures of themselves kissing people of the same sex.
No matter what the cause, the online community has always found the most unique and innovative comebacks to get their voices heard. And such is the story that followed yesterday's Supreme Court judgement that upheld Section 377 criminalising homosexuality.
It, of course, didn't take very long for social media to register strong reactions against, what many called, an archaic law. Tanmay Sahay was one among the many who were shocked by the ruling. “I observed the general sentiment of rage and despair on my Twitter and Facebook newsfeeds following yesterday's judgement, and I myself was extremely disheartened,” narrates Sahay.
He then, in an act of protest against ruling, changed his profile picture to one with him kissing a man with the caption “Criminals”. “The response was incredible,” says the otherwise married heterosexual entrepreneur from Bangalore. “People showed solidarity to my expression of protest and before I knew it, a lot of them joined it,” he adds.
Sahay created a Facebook event 'Gay For A Day' and encouraged his friends to participate, thus marking December 12, 2013 a day solidarity to the LGBT community. The event already has over 2200 people who have “confirmed” their participation in the event making December 12, 2013 as a day solidarity towards the LGBT community.
Hashtag #gayforaday was also trending across social media, and hundreds of pictures were shared of people kissing people of the same gender, an act that can now be interpreted as 'illegal'. “It is really sad, especially because in 2009 the Delhi High Court verdict had brought hope and freedom to the gay community, and yesterday that right was snatched away from them,” he explains.
Mumbai based content writer Anju Maskeri explains why she participated, "It was my way of showing solidarity to the cause. I think it's shameful for us as a people, whether straight or otherwise to be subject to this. That too, coming from the highest judicial authority." She was accompanied by many others including online celebrities, like stylist Sapna Bhavnani and entrepreneurs Mahesh Murthy and Vishal Gondal who participated by changing their display pictures.
But Sahay doesn't put all the blame on the Supreme Court alone. “What the apex court did by upholding the law was no doubt regressive, but the fact that it still exists in our legal system is wrong. It is an archaic law and needs to be repealed,” he concludes.
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