'Miss India' defends gay sex

One of India's top celebrities and Miss India 2001, Celinia Jaitley gave a big boost to the gay movement in India by launching a Facebook group page to have India's sodomy law repealed.

Jaitley, 27, was also a finalist for Miss Universe in the same year she became Miss India.

The controversial law, Section 377 of the penal code, effectively bans gay sex and makes sodomy or any kind of "carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal" punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The law has been widely used to intimidate and harass gays in the world's largest democracy.

Indian liberals in major cities tolerate gay openness, but for the vast majority being openly gay is taboo, though male-to-male and female-to-female sex is prevalent. One prince, Manvendra Singh Gohil, was disowned by his family for being gay.

Celinia Jaitley summoned all her friends and fans in joining her in a movement to have section 377 of Indian Penal Code which to be amended/overturned as this law has been used to systematically persecute, blackmail arrest and terrorize sexual minorities.

She cited a quote of Martin Luther King. Jr.: "Take the first step in faith you don't have to see the whole staircase ...just take the first step"

“Due to personal reasons also this cause is very important to me.” she said, without elaborating if she is lesbian.

“I do not think she is gay,” said noted Aditya Bondyopadhyay, Asia Director of the International Lesbian and Gay Law Association.

Last year there were gay pride marches in major Indian cities. The march in Mumbai was held on August 16, just a day after India celebrated 61st independence anniversary from British colonial yoke.

The choice of the date was symbolic demonstration that gays in India were still living without freedoms because of the archaic and black 377 penal code.

“She came and attended the Mumbai Pride March and mentioned there that some of her closest friends are gay and she has closely witnessed how these friends have suffered because of the laws and because of the society's attitude to their sexuality,” Bondyopadhyay said from Mumbai.

Celinia Jaitley said every great invention came out of "one" thought and that "one" thought pursued made a difference.

Though the British had enforced the 377 anti-sodomy law in 1860, in Britain itself, the law against sodomy was revoked in 1967

Ten years ago a lesbian movie "Fire" created quite a stir in Indian society.

But there have been a big change since then.

Jaitley is scheduled to play the lead role in the Hollywood movie, Quest of Sheherzade, that will be released next year.