LUCKNOW - Homosexuals in the Uttar Pradesh capital are planning to take out a rally to celebrate the Delhi High Court order de-criminalising gay sex, the organisers of the event said Saturday.

Voluntary organisation Naz Foundation International is planning to hold a public debate on the issue before finalising the date for the rally.

“We will seek the people’s view on the issue before we fix a date for the rally in which we expect a large participation,” said Arif Jaffer, head of Naz Foundation International.

“This will be the first time when many of us will be in a position to come out in the open without fearing the law,” he added.

There may not be any official data with respect to the city’s gay population but according to Jaffer “about 1,200 gays are officially registered” with Naz Foundation.

“We are basically into dealing with prevention and cure of HIV, contracted on account of male to male sex. That is how we are in touch with gays in Lucknow and other parts of the state,” he said.

Jaffer, who was put behind bars and is still facing trial for “promoting homosexuality”, was quite excited about the Delhi High Court order.

“At long last someone has realised that this is not an unnatural act and homosexuals are not made but born. So why must they be penalised? We have been oppressed, ostracised, penalised, rebuked and ridiculed for long. I hope the union government will take up our cause and amend the law,” he said.