Hyderabad: Members of the LGBTQIA+ community were a disappointed lot over the Supreme Court on Tuesday refusing to give legal recognition to same-sex marriages, quashing their hopes that it wold be another landmark day on the lines of striking down Section 377 in 2018.
Patruni Sastry, a bisexual transgender drag artiste, said, “I am not very happy with the verdict but the CJI explicitly putting trans rights in marriage is a slither of hope. While the judgment is undeniably disheartening, let’s not overlook the fact that this hearing was made possible through the tireless efforts of individuals and couples who petitioned, dedicated queer lawyers who represented, and NGOs that tirelessly worked towards this cause.”
Sandi and Anil, founders of Mobbera Foundation, an NGO which works for the LGBTQIA+ community said their hopes were shattered. “Looking at the judgment, we realised that the struggle will be much longer. We are not welcoming the judgment. It is also to be seen that there was no representation from our community to present the ground-level challenges.”
Vaibhav Kumar Modi, a cis gay Kathak artiste from the city, said, “It is a day of disappointment. However, we appreciate the fact that the CJI threw light upon the civil union as well as the improvements needed in the society towards our community in terms of protecting our rights. But what is more disappointing is that this is 2023 and even if we are a minority, we are a sizeable number. If neighbouring countries like Nepal can identify same-sex marriages, why can’t India? This goes beyond technicalities; it is about lives.”
Community members said that now that the SC has left it to the Parliament to decide on legalising same-sex marriages, it was important to have representation from the LGBTQIA+ community in the Parliament.
Jayant aka Jojo, founder of Queer Nilayam, who identifies himself as a gay man, said, “My partner and I were waiting with bated breath for the SC to rule in the favour of our community. The final judgment was heartbreaking, but this judgment is not the end of it. We all know that Section 377 was a long struggle and I think this battle will take longer than expected.”
