Sex between men is punishable by 12 years in jail in the country while the existence of lesbianism is not even acknowledged by the 1883 Penal Code.

Sherman de Rose, speaking at the Drop-in-Centre which has become a haven for gays and lesbians struggling to come out, admits that the archaic law has not been strictly enforced in recent years. But de Rose, 28, argues that its mere existence is enough for the police and anti-gay groups to brand them as ``perverts'' and lawbreakers. ``Article 365 of the penal code is discriminatory and gives a stigma to those who are gay,'' de Rose said.

He adds that some 900 gay men and women have made contact with his rights group, ``Companions on a Journey'', since it was started years ago. He says they have many members who are still afraid to come out in the open.

De Rosehimself has come a long way since he first dressed in his mother's saris and his sisters' skirts and played with their dolls, shunning the rough and tumble games of his peers. His introvert and shy behaviour made his parents send him to the church. It was at a seminary that he discovered he was sexually attracted to other men and decided to quit training for priesthood.

After two stints as a receptionist in deluxe hotels here, de Rose formed the group which held its second ``National Gay Conference'' at a secluded hotel last week.

Celebrations mark Gay Pride Day

Over half a million people took to the streets of New York city to celebrate Gay Pride Day on Sunday, chanting slogans, waving signs and sporting the diverse regalia of all sorts of sexual orientations. Gay Pride Day commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in the city, hailed by many as the beginning of the gay rights movement in the US.

Some 300 ethnic, political, social, religious and professional groups, representingalternative sexual orientations in US society, paraded down Fifth Avenue, flanked by leather-clad, bike-straddling riders of the Sirens Women's Motorcycle Club.

In the foreground of the colorful parade, in Gay Pride tradition, were groups seen as having less visibility in everyday life, including women, ethnic minorities and people with AIDS. They also observed a moment of silence in memory of the tens of millions of AIDS victims.