Two transgender people on Thursday became the first transsexual couple to marry in Kerala and register their marriage under the Special Marriage Act.
The bride Surya was decked up in gold jewellery and a heavily embroidered saree, while the groom Ishaan looked smart in a mahogany brown suit. The couple were all smiles. Love and celebration was in the air.
It was a defining moment for Kerala, as it was no ordinary wedding. Ishaan and Surya are the first transsexuals in the state to get married legally under the Special Marriages Act.
The wedding on Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram was attended by State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, former MP T.N. Seema, activist and academic J. Devika, Mayor V.P. Prasanth, dubbing artist and activist Bhagyalakshmi among others. The friends of Ishaan and Surya from the transgender community, too, turned up in large numbers on this momentous occasion for the LGBTQI community in Kerala.
What was heartening was that both the families had consented to their union and were present for the wedding.
Ishaan and Surya had both undergone gender-affirmation surgeries and were adamant on marrying someone from their own community. In an interview with an online portal, Ishaan had said that there were issues between both families because they were from different religions.
While Surya is a TV actor and member of the State Board for Transgender Justice, Ishaan is a member of Oasis, a self-help group for transgenders.
