On Tuesday, India’s Supreme Court took a welcome step toward opening
the door to equal rights for gay, lesbian and transgender citizens.
Citing the “constitutional importance” of a petition to reverse its 2013 ruling upholding
Section 377 of India’s Penal Code — which criminalizes “carnal intercourse
against the order of nature” — the three-judge panel decided to refer the petition
to a five-judge panel headed by India’s chief justice.