Queer couple dreaming of a baraat in rural north India ask how marriage equality is an ‘urban elitist’ matter
1 year, 8 months ago

Queer couple dreaming of a baraat in rural north India ask how marriage equality is an ‘urban elitist’ matter

The Hindu  

Among the 20 petitioners seeking legalisation of same-sex marriage by the Supreme Court are a couple who say their lives are proof against the Centre’s stance that the petition reflects “urban elitist views”. “On various occasions, they would tell me that if I can’t bring a baraat to their doorsteps for their daughter, then I should stop wasting Bhawna’s time and just disappear from her life,” says Ms. Kajal. “Bhawna’s family would follow us wherever we have tried to live, coercing her to leave, threatening us and damaging my reputation in whichever neighbourhood we went to reside,” recalls Ms. Kajal. Legal sanction critical Ms. Bhawna and Ms. Kajal represent many such queer couples from small towns in India, who need the legal sanction to live a dignified life, where their relationship is acknowledged.

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History of this topic

When it is a Queer Feeling
5 months, 4 weeks ago

When it is a Queer Feeling

New Indian Express  

This year, Thailand legalised same-sex marriage—the third Asian country after Taiwan and Nepal to allow it. The Gurugram couple got engaged last year but doesn’t want to go to countries like Thailand to tie the knot. As other Asian countries make strides in accepting queer love, Indian daters from the LGBTQAI+ community, share the ins and outs of queer dating …

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr | Legalising gay marriage: Societal shift takes time
1 year, 2 months ago

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr | Legalising gay marriage: Societal shift takes time

Deccan Chronicle  

The decision of a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court last week that it is not for the court to recognise the marital status of LGBTQ+ people, and that it is for Parliament and the state legislatures to make the necessary amendments to the Special Marriages Act, can be seen as a judicially informed decision, or as an expression of …

Marriage Equality Case : Conclusions & Directions Of Supreme Court Judgments
1 year, 2 months ago

Marriage Equality Case : Conclusions & Directions Of Supreme Court Judgments

Live Law  

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice PS Narasimha pronounced separate judgments.In terms of the reportable judgment, the Chief Justice of India issued following directions and conclusions:a. By recognizing a relationship in the form of marriage, the state grants material benefits exclusive to marriage; e. The State has an interest in …

Law and custom: On the Supreme Court’s verdict on same-sex marriage
1 year, 2 months ago

Law and custom: On the Supreme Court’s verdict on same-sex marriage

The Hindu  

​ The Supreme Court of India’s refusal to accord legal recognition to marriages between persons of the same sex is a huge legal setback to the queer community in the country. Given the progress in law in recent years and the deepening of the meaning of individual rights, there was widespread expectation that the five-judge Constitution Bench would give the …

Queer Couple on Same-sex Marriage Verdict: We have lost, yet we remain hopeful
1 year, 2 months ago

Queer Couple on Same-sex Marriage Verdict: We have lost, yet we remain hopeful

The Hindu  

Supriya Chakraborty, along with his partner Abhay Dang, a homosexual couple who met in Hyderabad in 2012, filed a petition seeking legal recognition of their marriage on November 14 last year and appeared at the first admission hearing on November 25 the same year. Eleven months later, responding to the final verdict, which was ruled unanimously against legalising same sex …

At the heart of the same-sex marriage court battle is partners’ right to protect their families
1 year, 2 months ago

At the heart of the same-sex marriage court battle is partners’ right to protect their families

The Hindu  

Five judges of the Supreme Court will at 10.30 am on Tuesday pronounce its verdict on whether India can allow same-sex marriage, and at the heart of the case is the LGBTQIA+ community’s view that wedlock is the key to social acceptance and respect. “How do I protect my family otherwise?” senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy and advocate Arundhati Katju, lawyers …

Marriage Equality: How Indian media has depicted same-sex marriages
1 year, 2 months ago

Marriage Equality: How Indian media has depicted same-sex marriages

Hindustan Times  

In 2012, a New Indian Express article announced, “In UP, Gay Couple Get Marriage 'Registered' in Court.” The couple in question had had their marriage registered under the Hindu Marriage Act. For instance, a Times of India article dated February 24, 1988, describes the police constables Urmila and Leela’s “sensational marriage” as a “protest against society’s treatment of lonely and …

Marriage for all, even if for a few
1 year, 7 months ago

Marriage for all, even if for a few

The Hindu  

In a reality show, “Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives”, Sima Taparia of the series, “Indian Matchmaking”, was asked about the possibility of matching for queer couples. Even as season three of her show dropped, the Supreme Court began hearing the case for marriage equality within the ambit of the Special Marriage Act. If the court rules in favour of expanding …

'We are not living with dignity': Gay couple who tied the knot seeks legalisation of same-sex marriage
1 year, 7 months ago

'We are not living with dignity': Gay couple who tied the knot seeks legalisation of same-sex marriage

India Today  

Abhishek Ray and Chaitanya Sharma, a gay couple, made headlines last year after they tied the knot in a grand social wedding as per Hindu rituals in Kolkata. And as the Supreme Court, after a marathon hearing on pleas seeking the legalisation of same-sex marriage, reserved its order, the couple shared their post-wedding journey and talked about the need for …

LGBTQ+ couples in India await the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage
1 year, 7 months ago

LGBTQ+ couples in India await the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage

NPR  

LGBTQ+ couples in India await the Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP MUMBAI — Aruna Desai still remembers the distress call that came in the middle of the night in September. 18 couples have petitioned the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage Desai's reaction to her son telling her he was gay was …

Same-sex marriage hearing LIVE: SC seeks govt response on grant of social benefits by May 3
1 year, 7 months ago

Same-sex marriage hearing LIVE: SC seeks govt response on grant of social benefits by May 3

Live Mint  

The legal recognition of same-sex marriage in India is currently being discussed in a batch of petitions, presently being heard by a constitution bench of the Supreme Court on April 27. SC asks Centre to respond on possible social benefits by May 3 SC asks Centre to come back on May 3 with its response on the social benefits that …

Same-Sex Marriage: 'Give Me Some Logic', 'All Boys Club' — Queer Rights Lawyers, Activists React To BCI Resolution
1 year, 7 months ago

Same-Sex Marriage: 'Give Me Some Logic', 'All Boys Club' — Queer Rights Lawyers, Activists React To BCI Resolution

ABP News  

New Delhi: The Bar Council of India has moved a resolution claiming that "more than 99.9% of people of the country are opposed to 'the idea of same-sex marriage". “If the Bar Council of India believes that 99.9 per cent of India does not share the view of petitioners in the case of marriage equality and if the BCI believes …

The many benefits of marriage equality
1 year, 7 months ago

The many benefits of marriage equality

The Hindu  

Last week, the Supreme Court started hearing petitions from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer petitioners seeking same-sex marriage equality. Therefore, excluding LGBTQ+ persons from marriage excludes us from the full benefits of participating in family and community life. LGBTQ+ marriage takes nothing away from those “straight” couples who already enjoy marriage equality, yet it means everything to the lives …

Same-sex marriage: ‘There is nothing absolute…’: CJI Chandrachud
1 year, 8 months ago

Same-sex marriage: ‘There is nothing absolute…’: CJI Chandrachud

Live Mint  

The Supreme Court of India's hearing into petitions seeking to legalize same-sex marriage continued on third day on Thursday, April 20. 3:40 pm: CJI Chandrachud said, “Same-sex couples seek the same benefits of marriage.” To which, advocate Vishwanathan says that the LGBTQ parents are as qualified to have children as the heterosexual parents. The top court disapproved the central government's …

‘Gay, lesbian couples can still…’: What SC said on Day 2 of same-sex marriage
1 year, 8 months ago

‘Gay, lesbian couples can still…’: What SC said on Day 2 of same-sex marriage

Live Mint  

While hearing the legality of same-sex marriage in India, the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that couples in a gay and lesbian relationship can still adopt children. Centre has opposed the idea of granting legal status to same-sex marriage and submitted that the petitions are reflecting "urban elitist views for the purpose of social acceptance". Responding to the objections, CJI …

Govt Does Not Have Data To Prove Gay Marriage Is Urban-Elitist Concept, Says Supreme Court
1 year, 8 months ago

Govt Does Not Have Data To Prove Gay Marriage Is Urban-Elitist Concept, Says Supreme Court

ABP News  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed claims by the Central government that same-sex marriage and queer rights are "urban elitist concepts". The remarks were in response to the Central government’s submission that the petitions representing those seeking recognition of same-sex marriages are urban elitist views. The Constitution Bench, comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, PS Narasimha, Hima Kohli, …

Five years after Section 377 landmark, queer community hopes for an epoch
1 year, 8 months ago

Five years after Section 377 landmark, queer community hopes for an epoch

Hindustan Times  

Like most things in India, it began at a wedding. “Runaway LBI women and trans persons often wish to marry each other and are seeking to secure some legal and social legitimacy for their relationship, particularly given the hostility, threat and violence that is inflicted on them not only by society at large but specifically from family members, opposed to …

Same-sex marriage is a demand for dignity
1 year, 8 months ago

Same-sex marriage is a demand for dignity

Hindustan Times  

On September 6, 2018, when the Supreme Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and decriminalised the lives of countless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual people, I was in the courtroom. In Puttaswamy vs Union of India, the apex court held that the sanctity of marriage, the liberty of procreation, the choice of family …

A case for marriage equality
1 year, 8 months ago

A case for marriage equality

The Hindu  

On March 12, the Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court frowning upon same-sex marriage. More than 20 retired judges issued a statement saying that legalisation of same-sex marriage will “strike at the very root of the family system” and that “such a sensitive issue concerning the society at large be debated in the Parliament and State Legislature as …

Indian gay couples begin legal battle for same-sex marriage
1 year, 10 months ago

Indian gay couples begin legal battle for same-sex marriage

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — Utkarsh Saxena and Ananya Kotia’s love story began just like any other college romance. If legalized, India would become the second economy in Asia after Taiwan to recognize same-sex marriage, a significant right for the country’s LGBTQ community more than four years after the top court decriminalized gay sex. A favorable ruling would also make India the …

Gay couples in India take their fight for marriage equality to the Supreme Court
1 year, 10 months ago

Gay couples in India take their fight for marriage equality to the Supreme Court

LA Times  

Utkarsh Saxena, left, and his partner, Ananya Kotia, have filed a petition with India’s Supreme Court seeking the legalization of same-sex marriage. A ruling for marriage equality would also make India the world’s biggest democracy with such a right for LGBTQ couples but would run counter to the ruling Hindu nationalist government’s position, which opposes same-sex marriages. The decision was …

In India, couples begin their legal battle for same-sex marriage
1 year, 10 months ago

In India, couples begin their legal battle for same-sex marriage

NPR  

In India, couples begin their legal battle for same-sex marriage Enlarge this image toggle caption Altaf Qadri/AP Altaf Qadri/AP NEW DELHI — Utkarsh Saxena and Ananya Kotia's love story began just like any other college romance. If legalized, India would become the second economy in Asia after Taiwan to recognize same-sex marriage, a significant right for the country's LGBTQ community …

Queer, live-in couples laud SC ruling on social welfare
2 years, 3 months ago

Queer, live-in couples laud SC ruling on social welfare

Hindustan Times  

Queer as well as unmarried couples in the country had a reason to cheer on Monday, after the Supreme Court passed a judgment, emphasising that the letters of the law cannot be used to put non-traditional families in a perilous position. A bench headed by justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, underscored that familial relationships may also take the form of “domestic, …

Their love is a rainbow. Read the Kolkata gay couple's story everyone is talking about
2 years, 5 months ago

Their love is a rainbow. Read the Kolkata gay couple's story everyone is talking about

India Today  

Five years ago, Article 377 was annulled by the Supreme Court and gave a new lease of life to the LGBTQ+ community. In the close-knit ceremony, Abhishek was dressed as a quintessential Bengali groom with a ‘topor’ while Chaitanya looked dashing in a crisp Sherwani and a beaming smile. In an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, Chaitanya Sharma spoke fondly about …

From colourful handkerchiefs to heart emojis on Instagram, the queer dating landscape has evolved in India
2 years, 6 months ago

From colourful handkerchiefs to heart emojis on Instagram, the queer dating landscape has evolved in India

The Hindu  

Aryan, 24, and Kiaan, 20, met each other on Instagram. Much before Instagram became a phenomenon and a platform for guys to leave hearts behind on other men’s profiles and complain about why they won’t flirt with each other, the queer dating landscape was a very different place: this journey from the streets to sheets has been a long one. …

Indian gay couple wed despite uncertainty over gay marriage
3 years ago

Indian gay couple wed despite uncertainty over gay marriage

Associated Press  

HYDERABAD, India — In a first for the southern Indian state of Telangana, two men celebrated their same-sex union with a wedding ceremony on Saturday. Abhay Dange and Supriya Chakraborty wore white tuxes, exchanged rings on a lavish marquee in what they called a “promising ceremony” and called each other “soul mates”, reported local media. While India struck down a …

In India, boy meets girl, proposes — and gets accused of jihad
3 years, 2 months ago

In India, boy meets girl, proposes — and gets accused of jihad

NPR  

In India, boy meets girl, proposes — and gets accused of jihad Enlarge this image toggle caption Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images NEW DELHI — Inside a former army barracks, Simran Sagar sings a Hindi love song as she makes tea for her fiancé on what they hoped would be their wedding day. Asia A …

Allyship, representation and queer pride
3 years, 5 months ago

Allyship, representation and queer pride

New Indian Express  

Similarly, within the ambits of our legal system, advocates Arundhati Katju and Menaka Guruswamy are arguing a case to legalise same-sex marriage in India. The petition however, stops with same-sex two-partner unions—not recognising that gender non-confirming or non-binary people are left out of its ambit, while transpersons are still struggling for recognition of their gender under the Transgender Persons Act, …

Why LGBTQ+ Indians deserve the right to marry
3 years, 9 months ago

Why LGBTQ+ Indians deserve the right to marry

Live Mint  

Last week, the government at the Centre filed an affidavit with the Delhi high court opposing the right of the LGBTQ+ community to marriage under Indian law. “Living together as partners having sexual relationship by same sex individual is not comparable with Indian family unit concept of a husband, wife children which necessarily presuppose a biological man as ‘husband’, a …

Sushant Divgikar: There’s deep rooted homophobia in many institutions in India
3 years, 9 months ago

Sushant Divgikar: There’s deep rooted homophobia in many institutions in India

Hindustan Times  

“Do you think the LGBTQ community is only interested in sex?” asks LGBTQI activist Sushant Divgikar, saying that’s one question he has been wondering ever since he heard about the Centre’s response to Delhi High Court on same-sex marriage. Last week, the Centre told the Delhi HC that there’s no fundamental right to seek recognition for same-sex marriage, stating that …

Same-sex marriage demands gain steam in India
4 years, 2 months ago

Same-sex marriage demands gain steam in India

Deccan Chronicle  

The decriminalisation of Section 377 of the IPC in 2018 was a landmark judgment, favouring the Indian LGBTQI community, but it’s been two years since and the law still doesn’t permit same-sex couples to marry. Recently, Delhi High Court sought the response of the Centre and the Delhi Government after going through two separate pleas by two same-sex couples seeking …

Same-sex Marriage Not Part of Indian Culture? Queer Community Says it's Next Step for their Rights
4 years, 3 months ago

Same-sex Marriage Not Part of Indian Culture? Queer Community Says it's Next Step for their Rights

News 18  

Mumbai: On Monday, during a PIL hearing for legalizing gay marriages in India, the solicitor general, Tushar Mehta, argued that “our laws, our legal system, our society, and our values do not recognize marriage, which is a sacrament, between same-sex couples”. “Many members of the LGBTQA+ community want the same marriage rights that heterosexual couples enjoy and denying same-sex couples …

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