Is India ready for gay marriage?

This week was significant for gay rights across the world. It was a moment of reckoning in the US when the Defense of Marriage Act, the law barring the federal government from recognising same-sex marriages legalised by the states, was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

“The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the State, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion. “By seeking to displace this protection and treating those persons as living in marriages less respected than others, the federal statute is in violation of the Fifth Amendment.”

However, India is still far away from a scenario when gay marriage will be accepted by the state and the society. We spoke to some of our luminaries to understand what dogs gay freedom in India and is there a positive future? 

Wendell Rodricks
India has been progressive when it comes to accepting homosexuality. The courts have ruled that section 377 be amended. Indian society and the law will one day accept gay behaviour as natural because it is! Some have taken that step already in religious ceremonies.  

Dhruv Kapur
A part of the fault here lies with society and its social rules and construct overpowering people’s views on an individual. The second party at fault are people who identify as LGBTQI individuals and yet choose to keep that a secret from their families and friends. I see marriage equality in India, just not anytime soon.

Swapnil Shinde
I think India is just opening up to gay and lesbian relationships, so it’s too early to expect our government to have such laws, more so even in the general eye as far as media, television and the Hindi cinema is concerned. Homosexuality is still used as a humour quotient and even ridiculed. It’s bizarre that a lot of people still think of it as a curable “disease”. So many parents take their kids for counselling.

Aniket Satam
This is the land of Kamasutra. Spiritual gurus with no firm base of religious understanding are just in a race to challenge the superiority of other faiths and fuel gender politics. Being an optimist and strong supporter of individual freedom, I can see that day coming soon. Legalising gay marriages would install a stronger base for LGBT groups.

Rajat Tangri
India is a very traditional country and we have yet to accept love marriages so accepting gay marriages is way behind. We do not even respect women and have gone viral for rapes even gang rapes and torture. How can a society that does not respect its women be progressive in its thinking? Ignorance is one of the main reasons why homosexuality is looked down upon in India. We mostly follow a herd mentality and do not analyse an issue before coming to a judgment. I do not see gay marriages happening in India.