India’s Supreme Court has begun hearing a number of petitions calling for legal recognition of same-sex marriages, despite objections from the government. The court clarified that the proceedings will focus on validating such unions under the Special Marriage Act only, and not under personal laws. If successful, India would become only the third country in Asia to allow same-sex unions, five years after the court decriminalised homosexuality. Around 50 petitioners have argued that denying them the right to wed is unconstitutional and violates their fundamental rights.
