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Congress backs Pride Month after poll-bound Rajasthan opposes same-sex marriage
The Congress party’s tweet of support for LGBTQIA+ rights comes as India awaits a Supreme Court verdict on the legal recognition of same-sex marriages.
The Congress on Thursday tweeted in support of Pride Month (June), writing 'proud to celebrate and stand for love, equality and acceptance' and posting a graphic of the rainbow flag, which is a symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community and is also known as the gay pride flag.
The Congress' tweet comes as the nation awaits the Supreme Court's verdict on a clutch of petitions seeking legal recognition for non-heterosexual marriages.
Significantly, the Congress' tweet also comes as the party-ruled state of Rajasthan signalled its opposition to the aforementioned petitions; the Ashok Gehlot government was responding to a notification by the centre seeking states' views on the Supreme Court case.
Read: Rajasthan opposes same-sex marriage, 6 states seek more time to examine: Centre to Supreme Court
Equally significantly, Rajasthan is one of a handful of big states scheduled to hold an election later this year. One of the others is another Congress-ruled state - Chhattisgarh - and the party will be eager to maintain momentum from its big win in Karnataka.
Pride in India
The Pride parades, rainbow-coloured flags and people dressed in brightly-coloured clothing have become a global identity to salute the efforts in seeking equality for the LGBTQIA+ community. India held its first Pride Parade in Kolkata in 1999. In 2018, the SC decriminalised homosexuality in a landmark judgement.
Read: ‘Homosexuality a disorder, will rise if same-sex marriage legalised’: RSS body survey
However, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre has rejected the demand for legalisation of same-sex marriage. Terming it an ‘urban elite’ idea that can disrupt the society, the Centre also urged the SC to leave the decision to the Parliament regarding legal validation to same-sex unions.
What’s the update on same-sex hearings
Following a series of petitions filed by 18 LGBTQIA+ couples, seeking legal status of same-sex marriage, the SC reserved its verdict after a marathon hearing of 10 days. The bench, however, did not indicate any tentative time frame for delivering its verdict as the SC will remain shut for the summer vacation till June 30. The judgement is expected only after this break.
If the court rules in favor of the petitioners, India will become the first country in South Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.
