SC ruling disappoints Hyd LGBTQ+ community

Hyderabad: The city’s LGBTQ+ community has expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court’s rejection of requests to review its ruling on same-sex marriage.

On Thursday, a five-judge panel of the Supreme Court rejected requests to review the October 2023 ruling that refused to legalize same-sex marriage.

“We have held out hope for the review petition because we know the law does not yet understand our community. We know we have to fight and that we have a long road ahead of us. We are ready to start from scratch and bring it to life in our own way,” said Sandipan Kushary, founder of the Mobber Foundation.

Rachana Mudraboyina, a transgender rights activist, noted: “Transgender women and transgender men have been in relationships or marriages with men and women for centuries. However, our relationships have no legal basis and end in futility because one of the partners commits suicide or is forcibly separated.”

Mudraboyina noted that in Telangana alone, data from 2021 showed that on average, one transgender woman dies by suicide every month due to a failed relationship or marital breakdown. “It is difficult that we continue to sacrifice our lives in the name of love when the law does not recognize or protect our relationships,” Mudraboyina said.

This outcome was to some extent expected as the petition was dismissed at an early stage. Courts rarely review and overturn such decisions, said Patruni Chidananda Sastry, a bisexual drag performer and founder of Dragvanti.

Currently, the government has established a special council to address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community and formulate policies to support them. However, members of this board are not cross-sectoral or grassroots representatives, which limits inclusion and effectiveness.

While many found the petition’s rejection disappointing, there is a need for more diverse representation and efforts within the LGBTQ+ movement.