Kerala Temple 'Denies Permission' To Transgender Couple, Moves Wedding Venue

The transgender community has received discrimination at the hands of society on several occasions. Be it in a social place or the workplace. In a recent event, a transgender couple was allegedly denied permission to solemnise the wedding in a temple in Kerala's Palakkad.

It has triggered a row among the community members from the district and several members of the community criticised the temple management. 

Kerala Transgender Couple Denied Permission

Nilan Krishna and Advika decided to get married at the Thiru-Kachamkurissi temple after dating for a while. Their wedding card showed their respective temple as the venue of the ceremony, according to their friends. However, the couple was denied to proceed with the wedding, which resulted in changing the venue. The function scheduled today was shifted to a nearby hall after permission was denied. The reason for denial was reportedly their gender identity, both belonged to the transgender community.

On the other hand, officials of the temple disagreed with any of these allegations. The officials stated that they did not deny the permission, only asked the couple to talk to the temple board officials on the matter. 

A temple official in a report said, "Not the couple but someone else connected to them came here and informed us of the plan to get married in the shrine. We did not understand then that the couple belonged to the transgender community. The Board chairman and others were here. So, we asked them to talk to the higher officials as we have no right to take an independent decision in such a case. But, they did not turn up," said the official. 

The official also pointed out that transgender marriages were never held earlier, also love marriages that take place without the permission of parents are not officiated in the temple. This is because such a wedding may invite police cases and legal issues at the shrine complex.

Suggested Reading- A Cute Response, When A Woman Tell Her Nieces That She Is Transgender