Onir on same sex marriage judgement: Won't be able to ask ‘will you marry me?’ in this lifetime

Filmmaker Onir reacts to the Supreme Court officially confirming it's stance on not legalising same sex marriages.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it official: it is not legalising same sex marriages. And that has naturally disappointed the entire LGBTQI+ community. Filmmaker Onir was hoping for a change, which never came.

Filmmaker Onir is one of the few openly gay Indian celebs.

In fact, the filmmaker was looking forward to when he would be able to pop the question to whoever would turn out to be special in his life. "From childhood, I have been watching movies where a man asks another woman that question, I thought 'okay, at 54, I will ask someone 'will you marry me?' I don't think this judgement makes it possible in this lifetime. You have left it to a parliament which does not believe in empowering the LGBTQI+ community," he rues.

Calling the judgement "extremely hollow", he says they are "judged by people who are perpetuating lies" and saying it's a western thing and not our culture. "It is extremely disappointing. I spent years hoping that the largest democracy in the world, by taking a stand for same sex marriage, would also signal to the entire world that human rights are more important than culture. But it was an argument put forward by regressive cisgender," he quips.

He says the cisgender (one whose gender identity corresponds with their sex registered at birth) world has "once again failed to become better". Onir goes on to add, "Unlike us, they have not learned to accept our happiness and have empathy. Ultimately, it reflects on their weakness. Of course, the struggle continues."