Kerala: Syro Malabar church backs Centre's stand on same-sex marriage

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 5 : The Syro Malabar church on Friday said in a statement that they will support the stand of the Central Government on same-sex marriage.

The church in its statement said that it supports the Central Government's stand that based on Indian culture, marriage happens between two opposite genders and family means a biological man, woman and their children.

"The Syro-Malabar church supports the Government's stand that based on Indian culture, marriage happens between two opposite genders and family means a biological man, woman and their children. The Syro Malabar church that upholds the Holy Gospel, tradition and enlightenment follows the same moral view and opposes the attempt to legalise same-sex marriage", the statement read.

According to the statement, the Syro- Malabar public affairs commission informed Sabha's view on the matter officially to the President after the Centre asked the society's opinion on legalising same-sex marriage. Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to inform its stand on the matter.

The statement further said, "Because same-sex marriage denies the children the right to take birth and grow up in a marital relationship. It is a denial of the nature that created man and woman. It is an injustice to the family system and society."

The church in the statement also alleged that legalising same-sex marriage will lead to a demand for the legalisation of 'disruptional sexual demands'.

"Legalising same-sex marriage will lead to the demand for legalisation of 'disruptional sexual demand' like attraction towards children, attraction towards mals, attraction between blood relation. So it should not be allowed", the statement said.

The statement further said that the church opposes discrimination towards people who have 'physical and mental challenges in their sexual condition'.

"But the church also empathizes with people who have physical and mental challenges in their sexual condition. We oppose discrimination towards them. At the same time, the Syro- Malabar church clearly announce their stand that marriage is between a man and woman only", the statement added.

The statement of the Syro Malabar Church supporting the Centre comes in a significant move when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been stepping up its outreach to Christians in Kerala recently eyeing the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Meanwhile, The Centre on Wednesday apprised the Supreme Court that they will constitute a committee headed by the Union Cabinet Secretary to look into the issues faced by the LGBTQIA+ community.

This was informed to a Five-judge Constitution Bench by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was appearing for Centre.

The five-judge Constitution Bench comprising of the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice S Ravindra Bhat, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice PS Narasimha is dealing with a batch of petitions pertaining to 'marriage equality rights for LGBTQIA+ community.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta apprised the Supreme Court that a committee headed by the cabinet secretary will be formed to look into the issues faced by the same-sex couple.

SG Mehta further submitted that petitioners can submit suggestions so that the committee can apply their minds to it.

The bench observed that it appears that the Centre is accepting that people do have a right to co-habit and basis of that there may be certain incidents of that cohabitation like bank accounts and insurance policies.

SG Mehta submitted before the Supreme Court that the government is positive about the concerns raised by the top court for giving some social benefits to same-sex couples.

He further said that this would need coordination between more than one ministry.

In the last hearing on April 27, the Supreme Court asked the government to give a response on social benefits that can be given to same-sex couples even without legal recognition of their marital status.

CJI DY Chandrachud has suggested that there are ministries dedicated to this purpose like social justice and empowerment such as Ministry for Women and Child Development.

Solicitor General had expressed his acknowledgement that concerns such as having a joint bank account, nomination in insurance, etc are all human concerns and there can be deliberation to find a solution. Solicitor General had indicated that he could attempt to undertake this exercise since the suggestion has come from the Bench.

The Supreme Court is hearing several petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. One of the petitions earlier raised the absence of a legal framework which allowed members of the LGBTQIA+ community to marry any person of their choice.

In one of the petitions, the couple sought to enforce the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to marry any person of their choice. It said, "The exercise of which ought to be insulated from the disdain of legislative and popular majorities."

The petitioners, further, asserted their fundamental right to marry each other and prayed for appropriate directions from this Court allowing and enabling them to do so.

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