Hundreds of gay rights supporters are marching through New Delhi to demand that they be allowed to lead lives of dignity in India's deeply conservative society.

Dozens of activists on Sunday carried a 50ft-long, rainbow-coloured banner and waved placards demanding that the government extend the scope of anti-discrimination laws to schools and offices.

Activists said that three years after the Delhi High Court made changes in India's colonial-era law that made gay sex a crime, homosexuals are still not socially accepted in India.

In some big cities, homosexuality is slowly gaining acceptance and a few high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues.

Many marchers on Sunday covered their faces with scarves or wore masks because they have not told their friends and families about their sexuality.

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