GURGAON: With their hands folded, their eyes closed, they posed for a photo like newlyweds.
Their wedding ceremony was like any other wedding. The celebrations began with a turmeric ceremony and continued into the night until the pheras tied them together for life. And the bride and groom were dressed by Kavita Tapu and Anju Sharma.
India doesn't legally recognize same-sex marriage, but that hasn't stopped the four-year-old couple.
Surrounded by their families and around 80 guests, Kavita and Anju tied the knot with all the customs on April 24 at the small panchayat Dharamshala in the city.
Recently, their wedding pictures were widely circulated on social media, making the duo the talk of the town.
But the marriage was not so smooth.
Their priest, who had earlier been told it was a wedding between two women, backed out hours before the ceremony, saying he had been injured in an accident.
Anju said on Tuesday, “We had already told everyone that it was a gay wedding. Even the hall owners and the DJ… Fortunately, a friend of ours stepped in and the two priests performed the rituals. agreed to preside over,” Anju said on Tuesday. .
It was in 2020 when Kavita, a makeup artist from Fatehabad, Haryana, was hired to shoot for Anju's YouTube channel. Anju, who hails from Gurgaon, is an actor.
The two, both in their late 30s, immediately struck a connection, though it was confusing at first.
Kavita said that she never thought that she would be in a same-sex relationship. “I was in a relationship with a man before I met the love of my life,” she said.
They soon started living together. Kavita said, “I was never so happy. We were inseparable.”
Anju recalled how despondent she was after losing her 22-year-old nephew in an accident and her mother soon after.
He said, “When I lost my nephew in 2022 who was very close to me, I was already heartbroken. And then in the same year I lost my mother. If Kavita had not been with me, I would have sunk into depression,” she said.
By then his family had also joined him.
“Kavita was my mother's favorite. My mother never let her go when she came to our house. Kavita tried hard to take care of my mother. She had already accepted the woman I liked as her daughter-in-law. It's another reason why I will never leave Kavita,” added Anju.
Kavita's experience was different. Her mother did not support her relationship, but her brother and father did.
“They stood by us when we took turns. We hardly talk to our mother, but we are sure she will come when she sees us happy together,” Kavita said.
Theirs is an example that has empowered other LGBTQ couples to speak out.
Ever since the wedding pictures hit social media, Anju has been answering questions from many women who want to be with the partner of their choice.
“I advise them to talk openly with their parents and get their approval. If the parents are not agreeable, I advise them to wait patiently and convince them,” said Anju. said
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court in October last year refused to legalize same-sex marriages in a majority judgment saying there was no fundamental right to marry and they could not override the provisions of the Special Marriage Act.
The bench also noted that it was Parliament that should take the decision and accept the government's offer to set up a panel to consider giving more legal rights and benefits to same-sex couples.
For Kavita and Anju, the next step is to start a family. Legal experts told TOI that since same-sex marriages are not recognised, adopting a child will not be straightforward.
But there is still a way.
“They can adopt as individuals. The law in India does not specifically prohibit single LGBTQ+ people from adopting. They don't have to hide their relationship but they don't have to mention it either. Single parents ” said Arvind Narayan, founder of the Alternative Law Forum and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Their wedding ceremony was like any other wedding. The celebrations began with a turmeric ceremony and continued into the night until the pheras tied them together for life. And the bride and groom were dressed by Kavita Tapu and Anju Sharma.
India doesn't legally recognize same-sex marriage, but that hasn't stopped the four-year-old couple.
Surrounded by their families and around 80 guests, Kavita and Anju tied the knot with all the customs on April 24 at the small panchayat Dharamshala in the city.
Recently, their wedding pictures were widely circulated on social media, making the duo the talk of the town.
But the marriage was not so smooth.
Their priest, who had earlier been told it was a wedding between two women, backed out hours before the ceremony, saying he had been injured in an accident.
Anju said on Tuesday, “We had already told everyone that it was a gay wedding. Even the hall owners and the DJ… Fortunately, a friend of ours stepped in and the two priests performed the rituals. agreed to preside over,” Anju said on Tuesday. .
It was in 2020 when Kavita, a makeup artist from Fatehabad, Haryana, was hired to shoot for Anju's YouTube channel. Anju, who hails from Gurgaon, is an actor.
The two, both in their late 30s, immediately struck a connection, though it was confusing at first.
Kavita said that she never thought that she would be in a same-sex relationship. “I was in a relationship with a man before I met the love of my life,” she said.
They soon started living together. Kavita said, “I was never so happy. We were inseparable.”
Anju recalled how despondent she was after losing her 22-year-old nephew in an accident and her mother soon after.
He said, “When I lost my nephew in 2022 who was very close to me, I was already heartbroken. And then in the same year I lost my mother. If Kavita had not been with me, I would have sunk into depression,” she said.
By then his family had also joined him.
“Kavita was my mother's favorite. My mother never let her go when she came to our house. Kavita tried hard to take care of my mother. She had already accepted the woman I liked as her daughter-in-law. It's another reason why I will never leave Kavita,” added Anju.
Kavita's experience was different. Her mother did not support her relationship, but her brother and father did.
“They stood by us when we took turns. We hardly talk to our mother, but we are sure she will come when she sees us happy together,” Kavita said.
Theirs is an example that has empowered other LGBTQ couples to speak out.
Ever since the wedding pictures hit social media, Anju has been answering questions from many women who want to be with the partner of their choice.
“I advise them to talk openly with their parents and get their approval. If the parents are not agreeable, I advise them to wait patiently and convince them,” said Anju. said
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court in October last year refused to legalize same-sex marriages in a majority judgment saying there was no fundamental right to marry and they could not override the provisions of the Special Marriage Act.
The bench also noted that it was Parliament that should take the decision and accept the government's offer to set up a panel to consider giving more legal rights and benefits to same-sex couples.
For Kavita and Anju, the next step is to start a family. Legal experts told TOI that since same-sex marriages are not recognised, adopting a child will not be straightforward.
But there is still a way.
“They can adopt as individuals. The law in India does not specifically prohibit single LGBTQ+ people from adopting. They don't have to hide their relationship but they don't have to mention it either. Single parents ” said Arvind Narayan, founder of the Alternative Law Forum and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.