Who are Queer People, and What are their Rights? Understanding the Community Better!

Gender and sexuality are topics that have never fitted into boxes. The term "queer" is an umbrella term that is used by many to define themselves and their sexual identity.

Liz Powell, the popular psychologist and author, defines queerness as being outside of the normative. “Queerness is about swimming upstream. It's about your presence in a culture that is heteronormative, that is cisnormative, that is mono-normative," says the psychologist.

The term "queer" is used to describe people who are not cisgender or heterosexual.

Talking about the 21st century, the term is made to use to describe a wide spectrum of non-normative gender or sexual identities and politics. As per academic disciplines like queer studies and queer theory describe it as a general opposition to binarism and a lack of intersectionality. Queer cultural groups, queer political groups, and queer arts are some of the modern manifestations of queer identities.

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Marriage Rights of Queer People in India

The Supreme Court of India has recently rejected the appeal that sought to legalize same-sex marriages.

The ruling was announced on Tuesday by the apex court after arguments held in April and May. Three of the five judges were of the view that the matter out to be decided by the parliament. 

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Is adoption by queer couples legal?

A 3:2 judgment on adoption rights with queer couples in the country was given by a five-judge bench. One adoption regulation was passed by the apex court that prohibits queer and unmarried couples from adopting children.

On this, the Chief Justice of India expressed, "Law cannot assume that only heterosexual couples can be good parents. This would amount to discrimination. So the adoption regulations are violative of the Constitution for discrimination against queer couples."

This philosophy, however, was not agreed upon by the three other judges, namely Justice Kohli, Justice Narasimha, and Justice Bhat.

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