LGBT activists all over India came together yesterday (December 15) to protest the country’s decision to uphold a ban on gay sex.

Demonstrations were held after it was ruled on Wednesday (December 11) that a colonial era law which punishes those who engage in sexual activity with a member of the same sex will stay in effect, despite the New Delhi High Court’s 2009 decision to strike down the law as unconstitutional.

Protestors wore black arm bands in the capital while waving rainbow flags and banners. Some wore wigs and masks to hide their identity out of fear they would be persecuted.

Rohan Mehta, a New Delhi-based businessman told reporters, “It’s my fundamental right to decide who I should love. I will not let the court deprive me of my rights.”

Even some of India’s biggest celebrities have spoken out against the decision to uphold the ban. Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma wrote on her Twitter account, “So disappointed with the [Supreme Court] verdict. Freedom is such a deceptive term. Rights are an ambiguous mystery.”