Queer, live-in couples laud SC ruling on social welfare
After the Supreme Court of India passed a judgement , ruling that queer couples, unmarried partners also entitled to social welfare benefits, celebrities and live-in couples talk about their reaction this judgement
Queer as well as unmarried couples in the country had a reason to cheer on Monday, after the Supreme Court passed a judgment, emphasising that the letters of the law cannot be used to put non-traditional families (unmarried or same- sex couples) in a perilous position. It noted that they are entitled not only to the protection of the law but also to the benefits available under social welfare legislation.
“The ruling essentially means that the stereotype associated with homosexual couples about them being the opposite of a traditional family is no more valid. It is liberating and it is a progressive decision, and I welcome this ruling by the Supreme Court,” filmmaker Onir, who identifies as gay, tells us.
Mohit Arora and Lakshay Rathi (names changed on request) have been “living together in a posh society in South Delhi for 14 months”, after telling their landlord that they are brothers. The couple hopes that the SC ruling sets up a precedent that “result in more empowerment and awareness for the queer community”.
Not just queer, the ruling was in favour of unmarried couples as well. Actor Mugdha Godse, who has been living with her partner, model-actor Rahul Dev, since the two started dating in 2013, lauds the judgment. She says, “Hope we as a society and a nation continue to evolve and be more empathetic towards everyone.” Whereas, Dev hopes that this judgment is a way forward for the future generation.
What does this ruling mean?
The judgement essentially changes the understanding of the term ‘family’. A bench headed by justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, underscored that familial relationships may also take the form of “domestic, unmarried partnerships, or queer relationships”.
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