It’s really disappointing that the Supreme Court didn’t show any support or even a tiny sign of encouragement to same-sex couples. They basically said it’s up to the government to decide, which is a letdown.
On a windy autumn morning, something incredible happened in India. It felt like a huge step forward for LGBTQ+ people. Imagine this: after about 30 minutes of discussing cases where same-sex couples were fighting for their love to be recognized legally, the Chief Justice of India, Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, and Justice SK Kaul made a historic decision.
They granted the right for LGBTQ+ couples to adopt children. Though they didn’t go all the way to legalize same-sex marriage, they did something very important.
They officially recognized civil unions, which is like a big step towards eventually allowing LGBTQ+ couples to marry, just like in many other parts of the world. It’s a moment of progress and hope for love and equality.
Then something interesting happened. Towards the end of the day, the majority decision from the Supreme Court chose to stick with the current situation. They basically passed the responsibility to the government to fix the unfair treatment that LGBTQ+ couples often experience in their daily lives.
The government said they’d create a committee led by the cabinet secretary to tackle these issues. However, they didn’t provide clear rules or guidelines for this committee’s work.
The minority opinion specifically mentioned important issues like medical rights, visitation rights in jails, and financial rights, as well as questions about inheritance, financial support, and pensions for LGBTQ+ couples.
But the majority opinion didn’t mention these specifics. This means that the outcomes will probably depend on what’s politically convenient rather than ensuring fairness. So, the people who brought the petition to the court have good reason to feel disappointed.
