WASHINGTON - Gay activists in the US, including Indian Americans, have hailed the Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising homosexuality, terming it as a “historic first”.

The US media too has flagged it prominently, with the New York Times calling it a “landmark ruling that could usher in an era of greater freedom for gay men and lesbians in India”.

“India’s society is generally unwelcoming of homosexuality except in the most cosmopolitan circles, but acceptance of homosexuality has thawed somewhat in recent years in some urban areas,” it noted in a news report from New Delhi.

The Washington Post prominently reported on the overturning of “a colonial-era law banning gay sex between consenting adults as the world’s biggest democracy struggles to balance tradition and modernity”.

“Acceptance of homosexuality has grown in urban India over the past two years,” it noted like the Times. “Many Bollywood films touch on gay themes, and gay pride parades draw thousands of people, especially youths.”

Gay activists, health workers, gay journalists, and community members in New York are planning a Saturday night celebration.

Indian American gay and lesbian activists too have hailed the judgement as a “historic first” in their effort to fight for their rights in India.

“It is the culmination of eight years of struggle. A lot of work has gone into it,” said South Asian historian and gay rights activist Mario D’Penhna, as Indian Americans gathered to celebrate in Manhattan. “This is an historic first, but yet not the end.”

“This decision comes at an opportune time when South Asian queer leaders around the world are focused on engaging the larger community to create dialogue about issues of same-sex marriage and immigration policy,” said Myna Mukherjee, executive director of Engendered, a New York-based trans-national arts and human rights organization.