The US State Department has encouraged India to take steps towards extending equal legal protections to same-sex couples. They are actively observing the developments after India's Supreme Court rejected the legalization of same-sex marriage and deferred the decision to the parliament. The State Department expressed its support for marriage equality on a global scale and is closely monitoring how the Indian government and civil society respond to the Supreme Court's ruling.
In its unanimous order, the five-judge bench's decision was met with disappointment by the significant LGBTQ community in the world's most populous nation, occurring five years after the court abolished a colonial-era ban on gay sex. The State Department spokesperson affirmed the United States' commitment to advocating for marriage equality and the protection of LGBTQI+ individuals against discrimination. They are encouraging the Indian government to take the necessary actions to provide equal legal safeguards to same-sex couples.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had opposed the petitions related to this matter, contending that same-sex marriage does not align with the traditional Indian family structure of a husband, a wife, and children.
Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, emphasized that the Supreme Court's role is to interpret existing laws and ensure their implementation rather than creating new legislation. The US State Department pointed out its regular engagement with the Indian government concerning human rights matters, including issues related to LGBTQ rights.
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