New Delhi, July 14, 2025: The Keshav Suri Foundation (KSF) and the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy have jointly released a series of legal and policy recommendations aimed at advancing inclusion for queer persons in India. The submissions were prepared for the High Powered Committee constituted by the Government of India following the Supreme Court’s judgment in Supriyo vs. Union of India, which called for addressing the systemic discrimination faced by queer individuals.
The recommendations were launched at an event in New Delhi, which featured panel discussions with legal experts, civil society members, and queer activists, including a keynote talk by Justice (retd.) Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the Supreme Court. The event concluded with an immersive theatrical performance at The LaLiT New Delhi.
The policy proposals are compiled in a series of four briefs under the title “Queering the Law: Beyond Supriyo”. These cover recognition of queer relationships and families, access to goods and services, queer-affirmative healthcare, and prevention of violence against queer persons. The recommendations are based on extensive legal research and national consultations held in Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur, with participation from over 150 stakeholders.
Key proposals include the inclusion of queer persons in secular marriage, parenthood, and inheritance laws; a civil union and nomination framework to legally recognise chosen families; reforms to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019; sector-specific anti-discrimination measures in education, employment, housing, and finance; bans on conversion therapy and non-consensual surgeries on intersex persons; and expanded access to gender-affirming and queer-affirmative mental healthcare.
“Our nation's journey towards equality demands collective action and clarity. Through this collaborative effort with Vidhi Legal, we are proud to present a set of actionable recommendations that chart a path forward — one that ensures dignity, rights, and recognition for LGBTQIA+ individuals in India. It is our hope that this document will serve as both a guide and a catalyst for the committee to take meaningful steps in translating the spirit of the judgment into tangible change,” said Keshav Suri, Executive Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group.
Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy stated, “The High Powered Committee established by the Government provides a critical opportunity to engage with the State on how India’s laws may be made queer inclusive. Such inclusion can be enabled through legal and policy measures by both the Central Government as well as State Governments. We hope that KSF and Vidhi’s recommendations can play a role in assisting queer civil society and lawyers in deliberating the direction of queer inclusive law reform and undertaking strategic litigation.”
The recommendations aim to translate judicial observations into legislative and policy actions, offering a roadmap for meaningful inclusion of queer persons in India’s legal and social frameworks.
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