What did the Supreme Court say regarding same-sex marriage?
On 17th October 2023, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC), led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, ruled against allowing same-sex marriage. They said that the law doesn't recognise it right now. It’s up to the government to make new laws to allow this.
The LGBTQ community and their supporters are sad about this decision. But the Supreme Court did make certain decisions in their favour.
What decisions will favour the LGBTQ community?
All the judges agreed that a group should be formed to look at the rights of people in same-sex relationships, even if they are not legally 'married.' The judges also said that LGBTQ couples can live together without being scared of bad things happening to them.
The judges have asked the group to look into various concerns that same-sex couples might have, like obtaining ration cards, pensions, etc. They said that it's not fair when LGBTQ couples have a hard time getting these things, and these issues must be addressed.
However, there was another sad decision. The SC also ruled that non-heterosexual couples cannot adopt a child together. The CJI did speak out against this decision and said that it must not be assumed that only heterosexual married couples can be good parents. However, the majority decided against the adoption policy, so nothing could be done.
What did we learn from this article?
The decision about adoption and same-sex marriage will hurt the LGBTQ community. It's sad to see that some people are not allowed to marry and raise families freely. Same-sex marriage is a celebration of true love, just like any other marriage. It is about accepting all forms of love to create an equal and beautiful society.
There is still some hope. Many Indians are showing their support for the LGBTQ community. It is our job to make our society more open, welcoming, and accepting. People from the LGBTQ community should not be treated badly or differently, as it is wrong. Everyone should have equal rights, no matter who they are and who they love.
