The Indian Supreme Court is hearing final arguments on a number of petitions seeking to legalise same-sex marriage. The hearings are being “livestreamed in public interest”.
With same sex couples and LGBTQ+ activists hoping for a judgement in their favour and the government and religious leaders strongly opposing same sex union, the debate is turning out to be a lively one.
Both sides have been forcefully putting forth their views. Lawyers for the petitioners have said that marriage is a union of two people – not just a man and woman. They have argued that laws should be changed to reflect that concepts of marriage have changed over time and that same sex couples also desire the respectability of marriage.
But Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who’s representing the government, has questioned the court’s right to hear the matter at all. He says it’s not an issue to be decided by five individuals – the judges – and only the parliament can discuss the socio-legal issue of marriage.
