4th November, 2020
The Allahabad High Court has granted protection from harassment from their families and society on account of their sexual orientation, to a same-sex couple who were living together in a live-in relationship for a long time.
Image Source - indianexpress.com
The court directed the superintend of police, Shamli, to give protection to the same-sex couple, while citing the Supreme Court’s historic judgment in Navtej Singh Johar and others Vs. Union of India, (2018).
The Supreme Court of India, like many countries of the world, recognized same-sex relationships in the Navtej Singh Johar case. Referring to the Supreme Court judgment, the court recited: “Sexual orientation is an intrinsic element of liberty, dignity, privacy, individual autonomy and equality. Intimacy between consenting adults of the same-sex is beyond the legitimate interests of the state". In addition the court stated - “Popular public morality cannot affect the decisions of this Court.”