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| Independent |
When planning their wedding, Dimple and Manisha always agreed that they wanted their "big day" to include a traditional Sikh religious ceremony. As a same-sex couple living in the Indian state of Punjab, they had no idea that their wedding day would cause so much controversy and be criticized by the highest priest of Sikhism.
Manisha, 21, said the priest was very encouraging as she approached a local gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) with her fiancé Dimple, 27, who uses male pronouns.
She told The Independent: “We spoke to him in the presence of my parents and told him it was not a marriage between a man and a woman, but is with a person assigned female at birth.”
India does not recognize same-sex marriage, but Manisha said priest Hardev Singh told her that similar marriages had happened in the past. “He took my phone number, said he would discuss the matter with the gurdwara committee and call me back.”
The committee approved their union and the couple married in front of the Sikh religious scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, on September 18.
Since then, controversy has erupted over their marriage, leading the priest to apologize for officiating the ceremony, amid criticism from top Sikh cleric Gian Raghbir Singh.
Calling same-sex marriage "unnatural and against Sikh ethics", Mr Singh told the BBC that the marriage of two women in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib was a "serious violation". about ethics and religion".
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| Independent |
Media reported that he also ordered the suspension of the priest who oversaw the wedding ceremony and three others present at the ceremony.
The priest, Hardev Singh, has since claimed in an interview with the BBC that he did not know it was an LGBT+ wedding, arguing that one of the couples wore a turban for the ceremony. He did not respond to attempts by The Independent to contact him by phone for comment.
Questioning his claims, Manisha said:
“We personally told him all the details. In fact, we submitted documents, including biometric identity proof, [and] Aadhaar [government-issued identity] card which clearly states that Dimple is female [assigned female gender at birth].”
Dimple's parents had known for a long time that he felt like a man trapped in a woman's body, the 27-year-old told The Independent. “I was very open from the beginning. I behave like a guy who is attracted to women. Therefore, I have never hidden anything from my family.
However, Manisha said her parents needed convincing. This reluctance is partly explained by the fact that same-sex marriage is not recognized in India, while gay sex was only legalized in 2018. The family also comes from rural areas, where there are few more conversations about gender and sexuality than more cities of India.
The Supreme Court of India is currently hearing arguments in favor of recognizing same-sex marriage. The government has previously opposed marriage equality, calling it an “urban elitist vision” and defending the institution of marriage as “completely heterogeneous”.
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