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<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm -3.45pt 0pt 0mm"><DEFANGED_SPAN><STRONG>The South
and <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><DEFANGED_st1:place w:st="on">Southeast
Asia</DEFANGED_st1:place> Resource Centre on Sexuality <DEFANGED_SPAN style="COLOR: black">is
hosting a discussion on</DEFANGED_SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></STRONG></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 234pt 0pt 0mm; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 32pt; COLOR: #993300; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Human
Rights <o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 234pt 0pt 0mm; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: #993300; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Challenging
the Penalization of <o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
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<P class="MsoNormal"
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style="FONT-SIZE: 18.5pt; COLOR: #993300; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Same-Sex
Sexual Activity<o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P></DEFANGED_DIV>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right"
align="right"><DEFANGED_SPAN><FONT face="Baskerville Old Face" color=#800000>20 February
2007 (Tuesday)</FONT><STRONG>, 4:00 – 7:00 pm<o:p></o:p></STRONG></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right"
align="right"><FONT size=3><DEFANGED_SPAN><FONT face="Baskerville Old Face"
color=#800000>Alliance Française</FONT><STRONG>, 72, <DEFANGED_st1:City
w:st="on">Lodi</DEFANGED_st1:City> Estate, <DEFANGED_st1:City w:st="on"><DEFANGED_st1:place w:st="on">New
Delhi</DEFANGED_st1:place></DEFANGED_st1:City><o:p></o:p></STRONG></DEFANGED_SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right"
align="right"><DEFANGED_SPAN><STRONG>No Passes Required.<FONT face=Arial>
</FONT></STRONG></DEFANGED_SPAN><DEFANGED_SPAN><FONT face="Baskerville Old Face"
color=#800000>ENTRY</FONT><STRONG><FONT face="Baskerville Old Face"
color=#800000> </FONT>on first-come-first-served
basis<o:p></o:p></STRONG></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<P class="MsoNormal"
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<P class="MsoNormal"
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Section
377 of Indian Penal Code 1860, makes illegal ‘carnal intercourse against the
order of nature’ thus:<o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<P class="MsoNormal"
DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 36pt 0pt 0mm; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">“<B>377.
Unnatural Offences</B><B
DEFANGED_style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">.</B><o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Whoever
voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man,
woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and
shall also be liable to fine<I>.</I></DEFANGED_SPAN><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">”<o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<DEFANGED_DIV
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<P class="MsoNormal"
DEFANGED_style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0mm; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0mm; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0mm; MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0mm; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0mm 0mm 1.0pt 0mm"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">The
law penalizes certain sexual acts equally.<DEFANGED_SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</DEFANGED_SPAN>For example oral sex, regardless of whether it is heterosexual or
homosexual; even penile-masturbation of one person by another, is considered
criminal. <DEFANGED_SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </DEFANGED_SPAN>Although facially
neutral, the law has effectively stigmatized and criminalized a section more
than others, namely the same-sex desiring people, including those who identify
as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), hijra, kothi and other Queer
people.<DEFANGED_SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </DEFANGED_SPAN><o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
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<P class="MsoNormal"
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style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">This
discussion will focus on some of the streams and segments of human rights that
challenge the penalization of same-sex sexual activity.<DEFANGED_SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </DEFANGED_SPAN>Details about the exact programme,
speakers and the chief discussant – to be announced.<DEFANGED_SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> For now, p</DEFANGED_SPAN>lease block the date in your
diary. Updated information will be posted on the website <A
href="http://www.asiasrc.org/">http://www.asiasrc.org/</A>
Information, available at this stage, follows:<o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P><FONT
face="Tw Cen MT Condensed" size=2> </FONT></DEFANGED_DIV>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt"><B
DEFANGED_style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
size=2> </FONT></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></B></P><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT><FONT face=Arial></FONT>
<P><BR><FONT face="Tw Cen MT Condensed">One of the speakers, <STRONG>Prof.
Robert Wintemute</STRONG>, is Professor of Human Rights Law in the School of
Law, King’s College, University of London, where he teaches European Union Law,
Human Rights Law, and Anti-Discrimination Law. He is the author of Sexual
Orientation and Human Rights: The United States Constitution, the European
Convention, and the Canadian Charter (Oxford University Press, 1995/1997), and
the editor (with honorary co-editor Mads Andenæs) of Legal Recognition of
Same-Sex Partnerships: A Study of National, European and International Law
(Oxford, Hart Publishing, 2001). He has drafted interventions by LGBT and
other NGOs in the European Court of Human Rights (adoption of children by
lesbian and gay individuals, and recognition of unmarried same-sex couples), and
the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (equal access to legal marriage for
same-sex couples), and served as Co-President of the largest-ever International
Conference on LGBT Human Rights, 1st World Outgames, Montreal, 26-29 July
2006.</FONT></P>
<DEFANGED_DIV><FONT face="Tw Cen MT Condensed"></FONT> </DEFANGED_DIV>
<DEFANGED_DIV><FONT>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B
DEFANGED_style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Prof.
Wintemute</DEFANGED_SPAN></B><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">
will <DEFANGED_SPAN style="COLOR: black">speak about </DEFANGED_SPAN>international and comparative
law on penalization of same-sex sexual activity, and the importance of
interventions by LGBT and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in human
rights cases before the courts.<DEFANGED_SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </DEFANGED_SPAN>He
assisted with <DEFANGED_st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Yale</DEFANGED_st1:PlaceName> <DEFANGED_st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Law</DEFANGED_st1:PlaceName> <DEFANGED_st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School</DEFANGED_st1:PlaceType>'s
intervention in <DEFANGED_st1:City w:st="on">Lawrence</DEFANGED_st1:City> v. <DEFANGED_st1:State
w:st="on"><DEFANGED_st1:place w:st="on">Texas</DEFANGED_st1:place></DEFANGED_st1:State> (2003), which the
US Supreme Court cited in its decision to strike down the "sodomy" laws that
remained in around 13 states.<o:p></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P>
<P class="MsoNormal"
DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
face="Tw Cen MT Condensed" size=2></FONT></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></P></DEFANGED_DIV>
<P><FONT face="Tw Cen MT Condensed"><STRONG>Arvind Narrain </STRONG>is a lawyer
with and founder member of the Alternative Law Forum, based in Bangalore, India.
He was part of two fact finding reports on sexual minorities in India. The
People’s Union of Civil Liberties – Karnataka (PUCL-K) Report of 2001
highlighted human rights violations against sexuality minorities, and, the 2003
report specifically looked at human rights violations against the transgender
community. He is also the author of Queer: Despised Sexualities and Social
Change and co-editor of Because I Have a Voice: Queer Politics in
India.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Tw Cen MT Condensed"><STRONG>Narrain </STRONG>will speak about
the on-going litigation in the Delhi High Court challenging the
Constitutionality of Section 377 and placing it in a historical context,
particularly focusing on the recent intervention made by the Voices Against 377;
further connecting it to international experiences; and reflecting on where we
are and what we can potentially achieve from this
effort.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>Advocate Vrinda Grover </STRONG>will be the chief
discussant, commenting briefly on Wintemute and Narrain, and posing some issues
for clarification and discussion.<BR></FONT></FONT><BR></P>
<P class="MsoNormal" DEFANGED_style="MARGIN: 0mm 0mm 0pt"><B
DEFANGED_style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><DEFANGED_SPAN
style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tw Cen MT Condensed'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
size=2></FONT></o:p></DEFANGED_SPAN></B></P>
<P><FONT face="Tw Cen MT Condensed">RSVP:<BR><STRONG>Sumit
Baudh</STRONG><BR>Senior Programme Associate<BR>The South and Southeast Asia
Resource Centre on Sexuality<BR>11 Mathura Road, 1st Floor, Jangpura B, New
Delhi-110014, INDIA<BR>tel: +91 11 2437 9070, +91 11 2437 9071<BR>fax: +91 11
2437 4022<BR>eml: sumit@tarshi.net<BR>web: www.asiasrc.org
</FONT></P></BODY></HTML>