In September 2018, in a landmark verdict, the Indian supreme court ruled out Section 377 which criminalised consensual sex between people of the same gender. While that was a huge win for our country’s LGBTQ community, who you marry still remains a topic of ‘public interest’. Same-sex marriages are still solemnised in secret. We’re currently working our way towards a gender tolerant society.
In times like these, when we see a same-sex couple marrying each other in a public ceremony, we can’t help but applaud their courage. They say, “love conquers all.” And this lesbian couple from Rohaniya, Uttar Pradesh is a living testimony of that.
The couple, who also happen to be cousins reportedly got married to each other in a secret ceremony in Varanasi. In what is being called as ‘Varanasi’s first same-sex marriage’, the two tied the knot at a Shiva temple, against their families’ wishes. According to a report on a leading media portal, the temple priest denied to marry them. However, the couple insisted on waiting at the temple until the priest gave up and agreed to bless them. The source also revealed to the media portal that the couple was wearing jeans and T-shirts along with red chunnis when the ceremony was being performed.
The couple then announced their wedding on their social media account and escaped from the spot. The locals were shocked to see them married and also criticised the priest for performing the wedding ceremony.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Shamli) told the media portal that the couple had allegedly approached the Shamli police in June and asked them for protection, claiming that their families were against their wedding. They also said that their families threatened them with serious consequences if they get married. The police lodged a complaint against the families and asked them to stop harassing the couple.
Well, we wish the couple all the luck in the world!
Featured Image: Instagram
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