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A Gay Valentines In India
Gay Indians in New Delhi can now choose from a small range of gay Valentine's cards, with the country's largest card-chain rolling out a new line.
Homosexuality was decriminalised last June in India's capital.
"We have been toying with this idea for a while and then came the court judgement in which it was clearly said that it's legal to be gay," Archies company spokesman, Yohan Arya said. "So we felt this was the right time to add these cards to those we already have for the occasion."
Gay customers won’t find it too hard to choose a card for their loved one, with just two choices for gay men, two for lesbians and one gender neutral card.
The Delhi High Court ruling last July was welcomed by gay rights groups and health campaigners who saw it as a way to combat HIV/Aids. India has an estimated 2.5 million people living with HIV.
The gay-themed cards are likely to fuel the ire of radical Hindu groups already staunchly opposed to any celebration of Valentine's Day, which they see as an erosion of Indian culture and a symbol of Western encroachment.
