Supreme Court has ruled that there can’t be legal recognition for same-sex marriages in India. Celina Jaitley said she was let down by the verdict.
By a 3-2 vote on Tuesday, the Supreme Court of India decided not to recognize same-sex unions as legal in the nation. The Supreme Court issued as many as four judgments and made a number of observations. Actress Celina Jaitly recently stated in an interview with India Today that the “LGBT community is only asking for rights that every other citizen of India has.” As an “LGBT activist for the past 20 years,” she continued, “I am undoubtedly disappointed in the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision.” Also read: Onir responds to the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage
Celina says the right to marriage is the ‘most important right’
Celina declared, “The Supreme Court’s marriage decision is undoubtedly disappointing. I’ve made it clear over the course of my 20-year career as an LGBT activist that the LGBT community is not requesting a unique set of rights. They merely demand the same rights as any other Indian citizen. The most valuable right a person can have is the right to a marriage and a family. I sincerely hope that the Parliament will modernize and gender-neutralize the special wedding legislation.
On the bright side, the court made a statement stating that it will continue to examine the rights and benefits that can be granted to LGBT couples, the actor continued. This, in my opinion, is a positive development. Rome wasn’t constructed overnight.
A five-judge Constitution bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday ruled in a 3:2 verdict against giving constitutional validity to same-sex marriages. The top court said it is for the Parliament to formulate legislation on it.
The bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, and justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli, and PS Narasimha delivered the verdict it had reserved on May 11 this year.
Activists and those from the LGBTQ+ community were hoping for a decision in their favor. Meanwhile, there were others, who were rooting for the Supreme Court’s current verdict, as according to them legalizing same-sex marriage would have distorted the social fabric of the country.