New Delhi, March 12, 2023: In a significant development, the Centre has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court, opposing the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.
The Centre, in its affidavit, has contended that same-sex relationships and heterosexual relationships are clearly distinct classes that cannot be treated identically.
The Centre has apprised the Supreme Court that living together as partners by same-sex individuals, which is now decriminalised, is not comparable with the Indian family unit concept of a husband, a wife and children.
The Centre has argued that the institution of marriage has been recognised in India as a sacred union between a man and a woman since time immemorial and that the recognition of same-sex marriage would be against the Indian ethos and culture.
The Centre’s affidavit comes in response to a PIL filed by a group of LGBTQ+ activists seeking the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in India. The PIL has been pending before the Supreme Court for several months now, and the Court had earlier sought the Centre’s stand on the matter.
The Centre’s affidavit is likely to trigger a fresh debate on the issue of LGBTQ+ rights and the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in India. While several countries across the world have legalised same-sex marriage in recent years, India is yet to take a definitive stand on the matter.
The LGBTQ+ community in India has been fighting for equal rights and the legal recognition of same-sex relationships for several years now.
The decriminalisation of homosexuality by the Supreme Court in 2018 was a significant step towards ensuring the fundamental rights of the LGBTQ+ community. However, the legal recognition of same-sex marriage continues to be a contentious issue in India.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the PIL and the Centre’s affidavit in the coming weeks and give its verdict on the matter. The LGBTQ+ community and their supporters are closely watching the developments in the case and hoping for a favourable outcome.
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