Prince Manvendrasinh Gohil of Rajpipla and founders of Vadodara-based NGO Lakshya, which works for HIV/AIDS among gays in Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara, could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Sylvester Merchant of Lakshya said, “The abolition of Section 377 will help us to work on several cases of HIV/AIDS. The health department will have to take this issue into cognizance after judiciary has intervened into it. Due to their intervention, the alternative sex will be accepted over the period.”

He added: “We have been a part of several meetings being held by the NAZ foundation, which had filed the petition in the Delhi High Court, for legalising gay, bisexual and transgenders. It had been a continuous struggle for the last five years, meeting activists across India to fight for the gay rights. We are eager to see what people think about it and then take the next step.”