India on Wednesday joined countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, China and Pakistan to support a proposal moved by Russia denying staff benefits to gay couples at the United Nations. The move was defeated as 80 votes were polled against it while 43 countries, including India, backed it. Speaking against the proposal, US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said: “We must speak plainly about what Russia tried to do today… diminish the authority of the UN secretary general and export to the UN its domestic hostility to LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) rights.” The UN extended benefits to same sex couples on the basis of laws in their home countries. (File picture) India went with the Russian proposal as it was based on its domestic laws on same sex relations. The UN extended benefits to same sex couples on the basis of laws in their home countries. But last year, secretary general Ban Ki-moon had moved a proposal to extend the benefit to all gay couples irrespective of their domestic laws. The Russian envoy at the UN had strongly advocated in favour of extending the domestic laws to respect cultural differences of the members of the world body. This is also perhaps the reason for India to back the Russian proposal. While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were the other countries on India’s side, 37 members abstained and 34 did not vote at all. India’s own legal provision on the issue has been subject of much debate. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was struck down in 2009 only to be revived by the Supreme Court last year. There is one last chance for the gay community to get homosexual acts decriminalised by the Supreme Court. After their review petition against the judgment which made gay sex a crime punishable with life was dismissed on January 28, 2014, the activists filed a curative petition before the apex court on April 3, 2014 which it has decided to hear in an open court. The apex court said the government’s indecision and flip-flop on the issue was to be squarely blamed for the situation. The Bench, which ruled that making or changing of a law was the sole prerogative of Parliament, questioned why the government had not acted even 13 years after a Law Commission report sought deletion of the section and there were repeated demands. The court said this proved that the Centre wanted the section to remain in the statute.
India voted to support a proposal by Russia, to deny gay couples working for the UN staff benefits . The move was defeated by 80 votes to 43 .