Aditi and Susan didn’t fall in love when they first met at a book club in Mumbai.
“We didn’t like each other at all,” Anand, a filmmaker, said happily as she remembered the meeting. “We always disagreed with each other’s opinions on the books we were reading. ”
After a few weeks, the two women saw each other at a phone store. Dias purposely didn’t pay attention to Anand.
She made a big effort to ignore me. “But luckily, or maybe luckily for both of us, we met each other at the phone counter,” Anand said. We greeted each other and gave each other our phone numbers.
Over ten years later, Anand and Dias have created a life together.
But they cannot get married in their home country.
India, which is the biggest democracy and has the most people, does not accept same-sex marriage. This means that millions of LGBTQ couples are not able to receive legal benefits connected to marriage, such as adoption, insurance, and inheritance.
The current law only recognizes one of them as the legal parent of their son, which affects important decisions like who can make medical choices for him.
But, things might be about to change.
India’s highest court, the Supreme Court, has been hearing arguments from activists since April about a significant case. The proceedings are being broadcasted live to the public, and tens of thousands of people are watching it every day.
People who support the rights of 18 petitioners say that India should start treating LGBTQ people as equal citizens according to its constitution.
They said in a recent court filing that these unions were an idea for people in cities and of high social status, and therefore not wanted in the country.
The court is going to make a decision soon.
If the activists succeed, it could greatly alter what is usually a very traditional and conservative country.
“I want my son to have two parents who are legally and officially recognized,” said Dias, who is one of the 18 people petitioning, just like Anand. “And that’s why we think this petition matters to us. ”
Hindu stories from many years ago tell about men who turn into women, and sacred texts talk about characters who are neither male nor female. Same-sex sex was made illegal and only straight couples could get married in India in 1860 by the British rulers.
After that, the LGBTQ community in India, which is probably one of the biggest in the world because of the country’s 1. 4 billion people, has been treated poorly and excluded by society.
Both of these laws from the colonial period were still being used even 70 years after India became independent in 1947. These laws were no longer being used in the country they came from, England and Wales, who made same-sex intercourse legal in 1967 and same-sex marriage legal in 2013.
For almost ten years, Narendra Modi, the leader of India, and his ruling party, the BJP, have wanted to get rid of India’s connection to its past as a colony. They have changed the names of streets and cities and have promoted the idea of India being in control of its own future. However, the laws in Victoria that govern same-sex marriage are a remnant of the past from when the country was a colony. His party has been working hard to keep these laws in place.
In 2017, when Vishwa and Vivek got married, being gay was still against the law and could result in up to 10 years in jail. They had a small Hindu ceremony at Vishwa’s parents’ apartment near New Delhi. They only invited a few of their closest friends and family.
We had to do it fast. Vivek, who works for a non-profit organization, said that it had to be short. “My family was not there. ”
In that year, the talented Indian filmmaker, Karan Johar, wrote about the experience of being homosexual in India.
“I don’t need to loudly announce my sexual orientation as everyone already knows it,” he wrote in his book “An Unsuitable Boy. ” I will not say this because in my country, I could possibly go to jail for it.
However, it seems like people’s opinions and behaviors are starting to shift.
In 2018, the Supreme Court made a decision to end a law that made same-sex intercourse a crime. However, they did not change the law that only allows heterosexual couples to get married.
In the past few years, the movie industry and big cities in India have become more accepting of same-sex relationships. Bollywood, the influential Hindi-film industry, and cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru now celebrate pride month with parades and big events.
Vishwa believes that these wins are great for the community and have motivated people to keep trying to change the law, despite strong opposition from the government. He said that even if the judge ruled against the people making the request, there could still be some positive aspects.
It may not result in a victory. Most of us have accepted it without any problems,” Vishwa said. We believe that if the Supreme Court agrees with us, it will help us in the long run. We are prepared to keep fighting.
No matter what the court says, its decision will impact many people in India for a very long time.
Famous chef and LGBTQ supporter Suvir Saran is one of many who disagree with the government’s position. He believes that the government is showing that India does not accept people for who they are.
In areas with a lot of discrimination in the countryside, the consequences of revealing your true identity can be very serious, according to Saran.
If you don’t have good education or basic things for living, you’re in a bad situation. Saran said that you might feel damaged or hurt even before you understand your sexual identity.
Anish Gawde, who started Pink List India, a group that keeps watch on Indian politicians and their views on LGBTQ issues, mentioned that a lot of people have been expelled from their homes and made to live alone because they do not have any support.
Gawde said that marriage equality is very important to many queer people in India. “They keep loving each other even though people judge them and try to hold them back. ”
Vivek wants a positive decision to make his relationship with his husband recognized and accepted by more people.
“I want to be recognized as Vishwa’s legal partner,” he said. Marriage is an agreement between two people that is recognized by society. It is also an agreement about money. The privileges given to opposite-sex couples are extremely important for people like us to create a life together.
After asking the highest court for help, Dias explained that she now understands they are not doing this only for themselves, but for the many people who cannot afford to fight.
Now, many people are working together to take action. “I’m doing this for people who can’t do it themselves, just as much as I’m doing it for myself,” she explained.
Anand said yes, adding that their home conversation turned into a big movement that brought together India’s LGBTQ community.
She asked if we can be equal.