At a time when Supreme Court has agreed to reconsider Section of Indian Penal Code, India's first gay marriage took place in Yavatmal, Maharashtra. It was a union between Hrishi Sathawane, an. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
LGBTQ people are well documented in various artworks and literary works of Ancient India, with evidence that homosexuality and transsexuality were accepted by the major dharmic religions. [1] Hinduism and the various religions derived from it were not homophobic and evidence suggests that homosexuality thrived in ancient India until the medieval period. [2][3][unreliable source?] Hinduism. Abhishek Ray, a popular fashion designer in Kolkata, and Chaitanya Sharma, a digital marketing expert based in Gurgaon, were the first gay couple in India to have a formal, social wedding in Kolkata on July 3, It received immense love and support along with hatred. In the backdrop of Supreme Court hearings seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage, the couple spoke to Outlook's Shreya Basak about their unique love story, the experience of being part of a Hindu social marriage and why marriage is an important social and political right for the LGBTQIA community.
Their marriage was the first documented same-sex marriage in India. The two women, following a Gandharva ritual, garlanded each other in the presence of a few close friends and family in a small ceremony. On 24th February, , pictures from their marriage made front page news under the headline “Lesbian Cops”. Ruman Ganguly is a Principal Correspondent at Calcutta Times. She covers Tollywood and fashion, besides her regular responsibilities at the desk. Her passions include movies, reading and avante-garde fashion shoots.
In the backdrop of Supreme Court hearings seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage, one of India's first gay couples to formalise their wedding speaks to Outlook about their unique love. While these unions may still not have legal sanction in India, they were far from rare even centuries ago, experts say. When author and activist Ruth Vanita attended and taught at the Delhi University - from the s to - "same-sex love was almost never mentioned in the academy". Around the same time, she was active in the women's movement, and found that a "similar silence prevailed then in feminist politics as well, both left-wing and right-wing".