The many benefits of marriage equality

Context:

Last week, the Supreme Court started hearing petitions from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) petitioners seeking same-sex marriage equality.

Why same sex marriages should be recognised

• Denying benefits: Excluding LGBTQ+ persons from marriage excludes us from full benefits of participating in family and community life.
• Denial of Dignified life: It excludes us from acceptance in society. This denies them dignified life to life. Thus, they are compelled to live under the degraded life.
• Denied policies: policies specific for LGBTQ have been challenging to implement with insurance companies as same-sex partners are not legally recognised as spouses.

Benefits of recognizing same sex marriage

• Tangible benefits: Tangible benefits include the ability to open joint bank accounts, jointly buy or rent a property, jointly own and share financial assets, be recognised as a relative under the Indian Income Tax Act, and inherit a spouse’s assets if one partner dies.
• Intangible benefits: It includes gaining legitimacy, respect and affection from society and being able to participate fully in all family events. 
• Acceptance to society: Being allowed to marry will enable sense of belonging and will help to gain the acceptance that they are seeking in society.