Hi!
Thank you so much for supporting the petition "Legal recognition/ registration of Indian LGBTQIA+ marriages #conQUEERingLegalRights". The Delhi High Court, Division bench of Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Justice C Hari Shankar has adjourned the next hearing on this matter to July 6, 2021, IST, which is tomorrow!

Seeking legalisation of same-sex marriages/ LGBTQIA+ marriages under the Special Marriage Act of 1954 and other on Foreign Marriage Act of 1969 (Abhijit Iyer Mitra & Ors vs UOI, Dr Kavita Arora & Anr vs UOI, Vaibhav Jain & Anr vs UOI, Udit Sood and Ors. v. Union of India and Anr).

One of the petitions by Dr Kavita Arora, a psychiatrist, and Ankita Khanna, a therapist, seeking enforcement of the fundamental right to choice of partner, after their application for solemnisation of marriage under the Special Marriage Act, was rejected by a Marriage Officer in Delhi on the ground that they are a same-sex couple.

The second petition was filed by Parag Vijay Mehta, an Overseas Citizen of India cardholder, and Vaibhav Jain, an Indian citizen, who got married in Washington DC in 2017 and whose application for registration of marriage under the Foreign Marriage Act was rejected by the Consulate General of India at New York. It has been left to the Indian courts to remind us that without an individual's freedom to a dignified life and personal liberty, there is no democracy.

Fundamentalism towards oppressed and marginalised communities shouldn’t be continued in a civil society, which is one of the biggest democracies in the world. The government must bring in legislation that protects the legal rights of Millions of Indian LGBTQIA+ couples and ensure that we are treated with equality and dignity.

Stay tuned for the updates of the scheduled court hearing for 6th July 2021 IST.