Kolkata: Same-sex couple exchange vows in traditional ceremony

Kolkata, May 23 (IANS) Kolkata, a pioneer in Queer rights movement in the country, has witnessed yet another progressive development on this count with a same sex- couple getting married the traditional way in a temple here.

Though initially, Moushumi Dutta and Moumita Majumdar decided to get married quietly at the Bhutnath temple at the stroke of midnight on Sunday, they themselves broke the news on social media.

The couple informed a section of the media that Dutta was married earlier and has two children. She got separated from her husband following regular domestic abuse and met Majumdar on social media. Later, when they decided to get married, Majumdar willingly accepted her partner's children.

Currently, both of them are residing at a rented accommodation in north Kolkata and are aware of the developments regarding the same-sex marriage. While hoping for a favourable verdict from the Supreme court, Dutta said that whatever might be the outcome she will always be by Majumdar's side.

They claimed that even if the court does not allow the certificate of gay marriage, no regulation stop them from living together.

In the past also, Kolkata has witnessed several such marriages. The first was that of Suchandra Das, a professional painter and photographer and her partner Shree Mukherjee, a digital marketing professional.

Happily living together for years, both Suchandra and Shree are now popular faces of the LGBTQ rights movement in the city.

Last year, Abhishek Ray, a fashion designer and a faculty with a reputed institute in Kolkata and Chaitanya Sharma, digital marketing expert got married, with the families of both willingly participating in the rituals.

--IANS

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