Swept up in a whirlwind romance after meeting at a Bollywood party in Mumbai, Saattvic and Gaurav Bhatti dreamed of celebrating their love with a typical big, fat Indian wedding.
Seven years on, it remains a dream.
Same-sex marriages are illegal in India despite the Supreme Court scrapping a colonial-era ban on gay sex in 2018 – a decision that LGBTQ+ Indians say they had hoped would pave the way for more equal rights, including marriage and adoption.
That is why Saattvic, who goes by one name, asked the Delhi high court to allow him to marry his boyfriend – one of six petitions made by LGBTQ+ couples in September 2020 to legalise same-sex marriage, with a final hearing due on Tuesday.
“There is a fundamental right to marry and we should be afforded that right to marry just like any other heterosexual couple,” Saattvic told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call from Vancouver in Canada.
“Gaurav and I want to get married. We want to have a family. We want to go out for work and come back home and have our spouse there, have our kids there and sit around and have a family dinner and watch TV together.”
If the couple win their case, India would become the second place in Asia after Taiwan in 2019 to recognise gay marriage.
LGBTQ+ Indians have made significant strides since the 2018 gay sex ruling, from their portrayal on television to more representation in politics and inclusive corporate policies.
Yet many say they still fear coming out in largely conservative India where discrimination and abuse prevent LGBTQ+ people from accessing jobs, healthcare, education and housing.
Saattvic and Bhatti – who now live in Canada – recalled harrowing times of being turned down by landlords when trying to rent apartments and not being able to make medical decisions for each other in emergencies because they are not married.
“You can’t live the basic life that everyone takes for granted. That realisation is debilitating,” said Saattvic.
Homophobia remains rife in India, said Bhatti, a classical Indian dancer who joined the call from London where he had travelled for a performance.
“I’m more effeminate than Saattvic and it’s a bit more obvious (that I am gay). Hearing all sorts of comments was always an issue because of what it does to you mentally … you try to ignore it, you (say) don’t care but you do deep down,” he said.
“People are just so not okay with the idea that someone can be different in any way … Anything that does not fit in their norm is just crazy and they’ll do anything to change and suppress that.”
The post Big fat gay Indian wedding? Same-sex couple fight for right to marry appeared first on GAY TIMES.
Big fat gay Indian wedding? Same-sex couple fight for right to marry
Swept up in a whirlwind romance after meeting at a Bollywood party in Mumbai, Saattvic and Gaurav Bhatti dreamed of celebrating their love with a typical big, fat Indian wedding.
Seven years on, it remains a dream.
Same-sex marriages are illegal in India despite the Supreme Court scrapping a colonial-era ban on gay sex in 2018 – a decision that LGBTQ+ Indians say they had hoped would pave the way for more equal rights, including marriage and adoption.
That is why Saattvic, who goes by one name, asked the Delhi high court to allow him to marry his boyfriend – one of six petitions made by LGBTQ+ couples in September 2020 to legalise same-sex marriage, with a final hearing due on Tuesday.
“There is a fundamental right to marry and we should be afforded that right to marry just like any other heterosexual couple,” Saattvic told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call from Vancouver in Canada.
“Gaurav and I want to get married. We want to have a family. We want to go out for work and come back home and have our spouse there, have our kids there and sit around and have a family dinner and watch TV together.”
If the couple win their case, India would become the second place in Asia after Taiwan in 2019 to recognise gay marriage.
LGBTQ+ Indians have made significant strides since the 2018 gay sex ruling, from their portrayal on television to more representation in politics and inclusive corporate policies.
Yet many say they still fear coming out in largely conservative India where discrimination and abuse prevent LGBTQ+ people from accessing jobs, healthcare, education and housing.
Saattvic and Bhatti – who now live in Canada – recalled harrowing times of being turned down by landlords when trying to rent apartments and not being able to make medical decisions for each other in emergencies because they are not married.
“You can’t live the basic life that everyone takes for granted. That realisation is debilitating,” said Saattvic.
Homophobia remains rife in India, said Bhatti, a classical Indian dancer who joined the call from London where he had travelled for a performance.
“I’m more effeminate than Saattvic and it’s a bit more obvious (that I am gay). Hearing all sorts of comments was always an issue because of what it does to you mentally … you try to ignore it, you (say) don’t care but you do deep down,” he said.
“People are just so not okay with the idea that someone can be different in any way … Anything that does not fit in their norm is just crazy and they’ll do anything to change and suppress that.”
The post Big fat gay Indian wedding? Same-sex couple fight for right to marry appeared first on GAY TIMES.
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