Separated By Parents, United By Kerala HC: How This Gay Couple Broke Norms

A gay couple, separated by their parents, had a happy reunion after exchanging rings following the intervention of the Kerala High Court. A series of photos on Instagram show Adhila Nasarin and Fathima Noora are a happy couple now.

The couple made headlines earlier this year when the two filed a petition in court against the opposition they faced after they came out to their families. Last month, they made headlines again for a wedding photoshoot in which the couple posed as brides.

Kerala gay couple pose for bridal photoshoot

Decked in embellished wedding attire and silver jewellery, the photos see the couple beaming at each other as they exchanged rings and rose garlands under a canopy by the seaside in Ernakulam district. In another picture, Nasarin and Noora are seen holding a cake in the Pride Flag colour.

When Noora, 23, shared the photos on her Facebook page - captioned "Achievement unlocked: together forever" - congratulations poured in for the happy couple.

"We just tried the photoshoot because we thought the idea was interesting," Nasarin later told the BBC. "We're not married yet," she added. "But at some point, we'd like to be."

The couple met in Saudi Arabia when they were students and later decided to live together but faced opposition after their family objected to their relationship.

Nasarin in her petition said she reached Kerala's Kozhikode in May and met Noora, and for some days they lived in a shelter home, but the police intervened after being tracked by their relatives.

While Nasarin's relatives took the couple to Aluva from Kozhikode, a few days later Noora's parents took her away by force as well.

The Kerala High Court ruled in their favour after they were forcefully separated. The bench comprising Justice Vinod Chandran heard the plea on and clarified that it was not forbidden for adults to live together and allowed the couple to live together.

The Supreme Court of India decriminalised gay sex in 2018 after a decades-long legal battle. However, same-sex marriages have no legal sanction, though petitions for legalisation are under consideration in the Delhi high court and the Supreme Court. Over the years, while the awareness about the community has increased, LGBTQIA members still face stigma and resistance to complete acceptance.

Suggested Reading: Kerala Queer Couple United After High Court Allows Them To Live Together