The Supreme Court's verdict on same-sex marriage has stirred a wide range of reactions. Although the apex court has issued specific directives for the government to address, both legal experts and same-sex couples are questioning its potential effectiveness
Queer couples will be entitled to all those rights that heterosexual unmarried couples have. Photo Courtesy: iStock
Key Highlights
- There still remains a considerable amount of confusion around the SC verdict
- We must understand why legal right to marry plays a significant role for queer couples
- We speak to a SC lawyer and queer couple to gain insights
The Supreme Court’s verdict on same-sex marriage in India has received mixed reactions from the LGBTQIA+ community. The onus is now on the Parliament to decide if the unions of queer couples can be legally recognised. While some see it as a complete disappointment and feel let down by the upholders of justice, some also see it as a positive step towards achieving their rights.
This said, there still remains a considerable amount of confusion looming in the air regarding the rights refused and granted to the queer community. Many believe, the right to union granted by the apex court, is a big step towards inclusivity, but what needs to be understood is why the legal right to marry plays a significant role for queer couples.
Mid-day Online spoke to 25-year-old Muskan Tibrewala, a Supreme Court lawyer and 35-year-old Ashish Srivastava, an IT professional working as a senior manager at a shipping firm and a member of the queer community to understand the complexities of the verdict.
The significance of the legal right to marry
Tibrewala, one of the lawyers for the petitioners of the case, tells us why the legalisation of marriage for same-sex couples is significant. Heterosexual (a person attracted to someone of the opposite sex) married couples are entitled to certain rights that accrue from a marriage.