In pics | Sir Ian McKellen stands up for India’s gay community at LGBT film festival
Sir Ian McKellen showed support for India’s LGBT community yesterday, attending the Kashish Film Festival in Mumbai.
The LGBT-themed event showcased the diversity of queer cinema, with India’s industry stars and professionals, including actress Sonam Kapoor, in attendance.
McKellen spoke at the National Centre For Performing Arts on Monday (May 23), according to The Huffington Post India, when he made the comments that criticised section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial law that effectively makes sexual relations between gay men illegal.
Ian said during his interview: “India is going through what the UK went through 30 years ago. It is appalling and ironical that India would use a colonial law to oppress its homosexuals.
“India needs to grow up. India needs to realise that it doesn’t need to follow British laws any more. But things are changing on other fronts. Kashish, Mumbai’s LGBT film festival, is a great example of that.”
Actress Sonam Kapoor, who is a supporter of LGBT rights, echoed McKellen’s sentiments last night to abolish Section 377, expressing that freedom to love is “a basic human right.”
In an interview with the Indian Express, she said: “It’s a basic human right. It’s not about lesbian, gay, male, female or transsexual.
“It’s about being able to be who you want to be and being somebody who is just themselves. I have advocated that from the beginning of my career.”
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