Cultura

India top court refers petition on gay sex to a bigger bench



    NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court referred a petition to make homosexuality legal to a five-judge bench on Tuesday, a lawyer for a gay rights group said.

    The decision offered a ray of hope to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans gender community that has faced persecution after the world's largest democracy in December 2013 reinstated a colonial-era law banning gay sex.

    "It is definitely a step forward," lawyer Anand Grover said as activists gathered outside the courtroom cheered.

    (Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Malini Menon)