Same-sex marriage case: Lead petitioner says very hopeful of positive outcome

Supriyo says, Marriage equality will provide queer individuals a safe environment and the right to choose their own family

Hyderabad: The same-sex marriage hearing in the Supreme Court of India has grabbed attention from across the globe. In the epicenter of this landmark case that could perhaps influence gender minority rights for decades to come, is city-based gay couple Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay Dang.

Supriyo and Abhay met and fell in love in Hyderabad. They became husband and husband in 2021 when they said “I do” in the presence of their loved ones, becoming the first gay couple in Telangana to enter wedlock. Now they are fighting for their marriage to be legally recognised as the lead petitioners in the marriage equality case.

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When asked about how hopeful he is of the apex court legalising same-sex marriage, Supriyo took a moment to collect his thoughts, and with a smile on his face, he said, “I am very hopeful.”

“If you see, in the last five years, there have been a lot of conversations around this topic. Society is moving forward,” he says, indicating that laws must change with time.

Supriyo says that their petition was initially only about them but eventually it became an issue that could impact the entire LGBTQ community. “I also did not realize when from being just a representative of the community I became an activist,” he points out.

“Marriage equality will provide queer individuals a safe environment and the right to choose their own family. If I die right now, Abhay can’t even claim my body because in the eyes of the law, he is just a visitor.”

Legalizing same-sex marriages will pave the way for couples to adopt, nominate partners as next of kin, file joint IT returns, and to essentially have rights that heterosexual couples enjoy. Supriyo strongly argues that the problems same-sex couples are facing in India today are not just theoretical but are practical issues that impact their day-to-day life.