Hyderabad: The city’s LGBTQ+ community has expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court's dismissal of review petitions on its judgment on same-sex marriage.
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected petitions seeking a review of the October 2023 judgment, which refused to legalise same-sex marriage.
“We were not hopeful about the review petition because we know that the law is yet to understand our community. We know that we have to fight and it's a long way to go. We are ready to start from scratch and bring it up again in our own ways,” said Sandipan Kushary, founder of Mobbera Foundation.
Rachana Mudraboyina, a transgender rights activist, noted: “Trans women and trans men have been in relationships or getting married to the men and women for ages. But, our relationships have no legal legitimacy and end up in vain as either of the partners committing suicide or getting separated forcibly.”
Mudraboyina noted that in Telangana alone, data from 2021 revealed that on average, one trans woman dies by suicide each month due to a failed relationship or the collapse of marriage. “It’s a hard thing that we continue to sacrifice our lives for the sake of love while the law fails to recognise or protect our relationships, said Mudraboyina said.
This outcome was already somewhat expected because the petition had been dismissed at the initial stage itself. Courts rarely revisit and overturn such decisions, said Patruni Chidananda Sastry, a bisexual drag artist and the founder of Dragvanti.
Currently, the government has formed a special board to address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community and formulate policies to support them. However, the members of this board are neither intersectional nor grassroots-level representatives, and this limits the inclusivity and effectiveness.
While the dismissal of the petition has been disappointing for many, there is a need for more diverse representation and efforts within the LGBTQ+ movement.
