Allahabad High Court Upholds Right Of Adult Same-Sex Couple To Live Together
The Allahabad High Court has held that adults have a constitutional right under Article 21 to choose a partner, exercise personal autonomy and live with a consenting partner. Family opposition, social disapproval or traditional beliefs cannot be used to interfere with such freedom, the court said.
Justice Dr Gautam Chaudhary heard a petition filed by two adult women from Varanasi in a same-sex live-in relationship seeking protection from their families. Both women appeared before the court and confirmed they were adults living together voluntarily without pressure or undue influence. They expressed apprehension about their safety from family members.
The court clarified that the question of legal recognition of same-sex marriage is separate from the right of two consenting adults to live together. It held that the women were free to live together peacefully and that their families or any other person could not interfere with their relationship.
