In 2018, the highest court in India ruled unanimously that Section 377 was unconstitutional. It was a historic judgement made by the five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court. However, we need more conversations, and it appears there is still a long way to go when talking about social acceptance, the rights and privileges of the LGBTQ+ community. On February 25, 2021, the Centre told the Delhi High Court that there is no fundamental right to seek recognition for same-sex marriage despite the decriminalisation of homosexuality under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The remarks have gone viral, and netizens trend #SameSexMarriage on Twitter demanding an acceptance of gay marriages.

According to reports, the Centre opposed petitions that sought recognition of same-sex marriages. Noting the legal recognition of same sex unions, the centre was quoted saying, “In India marriage is not just a matter of union of two individuals but a solemn institution between a biological man and a biological woman... Despite the decriminalisation of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, the petitioners (Mitra and others) cannot claim a fundamental right for same-sex marriage being recognised under the laws of the country.”

The country may have decriminalised section 377, but it is reluctant to legitimise same-sex marriages. The centre further informed the court that registration of marriage of homosexual couples would also violate the existing personal as well as codified law provisions. Social media users have been irked by the remarks. While many came forward with their own stories and attempted to convey the necessity for legalisation, others appeared to be furious over the perception of an “Indian family unit.”

See Tweet from Bar & Bench:

Netizens Trend #LoveIsLove

They Demand Legalisation of Same-Sex Marriages:

Some Share Personal Story

Others On the Institution of Marriage

Marriage Between Souls

The petitioners are seeking legalisation of same-sex marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA), Special Marriage Act (SMA) and Foreign Marriage Act (FMA).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 26, 2021 02:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).