Women in love can't marry

Lesbian couple, which announced their wedding plans soon after the HC judgment on Sec 377, find that there's still no legal sanctity for a same-sex marriage

Lesbian couple, which announced their wedding plans soon after the HC judgment on Sec 377, find that there's still no legal sanctity for a same-sex marriage

A lesbian couple which wanted to be the first to tie the knot in the city has had to put their plans on hold due to legal hurdles.

Love all: Swathi and Snehaprabha say they are mentally married already file pic

Swathi (23) and Snehaprabha (25) are community mobilisers for Samara, an NGO that works with homosexuals. They met while educating gays and lesbians about sexual diseases and have been in love for the last three years. They now live together in Sunkadakatte.

The couple was elated with the recent High Court judgment decriminalizing homosexuality.

"We were finally relieved as the judgment was in our favour," said Swathi. "We also decided to marry the same day."

Oops!

However, their joy was shortlived.

"The marriage can't be registered as it doesn't have legal sanctity," said B T Venkatesh,u00a0 an advocate.

"Prohibited degrees of relationship are the only concern. Unless and until there is a change in personal laws, the marriage will not get legal sanctity."

Not giving up

Despite the legal hurdle, Swathi and Sneha are firm in their resolve to get married. Till then, they have decided to live together.

"We share an emotional bond and are mentally married," added Swathi. "We are exploring legal options to get married. We will also appeal to the court. By the time we solve issues with our families, we hope to find a way out and get married."

Can gays adopt?
Legal experts say adoption is not a problem for same-sex couples. Any adult over 18u00a0 years can adopt a child under the adoption law. However, the Christian church doesn't allow such an adoption.

"Any adult can adopt a child - gay or a lesbian doesn't make a difference. However, adoption under Christianity is an exception. It's not a problem for Hindus or Muslims," said B T Venkatesh, a senior advocate in the high court.