Same-Sex Marriage Visa Dilemma

I am going to India on a tourist visa. I am a US citizen in a same-sex marriage with another US citizen (neither one of us are of Indian descent).

Our federal government does not recognize our marriage (except for the purpose of changing my name on my passport to my married name). And my marriage, I'm sure is not recognized by the Indian government.

Should I put married or single as my status? Has anyone ever experienced this problem?

Would reporting that I'm in a same-sex marriage jeopardize the approval of my tourist visa? My name changed occurred due to marriage and other than the marriage license itself I have no court order documentation of my name change.

Although the sole purpose of this trip is purely for tourism, in a few years, I was hoping to find work in India and my husband is wanting to attend an Indian university to get his doctorate.

Has anyone else dealt with this?

As far as the Indian authorities are concerned, you are single. Apply for your visa(s) under whatever name you have on your passport(s). As you are applying for tourist visas and these are issued individually, the question of a spouse visa does not arise.

And as to your future plans, probably best to forget them and explore destinations that are a little more "enlightened"?

My husband and I just received our visas last week, without delay or questions. We completed the applications indicating "married." I did have a laugh when filling out the section for information on spouse. The option of "housewife" was the closest answer I could give on his application under the prior employment section.

Hey, it works to satisfy the bureaucracy..

Huh ? OP is from Hawaii, where same sex-marriage is not legal. Neither is it in UK.
Only few states in the US perform sex-marriages, and grant full and equal rights. Where do you suggest he go based on this map ?

I suspect they'll get fewer glances holding hands in India than they would in swathes of the west.

On you link, the list of civil partnerships, conferring most of the rights of marriage and including the UK is much larger.

I am not suggesting anything, and clearly referred to their future plans of work and study in India, where their lack of marital status will be less of a help than a hindrance.

A summary of Indian attitudes to homosexuality can be found here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_India

Conferring rights is not the same as marriage license. UK does not do it. neither does US. No foreigner in coming to US/UK asking for spousal rights & priveleges a.k.a immigrant visa is granted one if one is not married. As any diplomat would tell you, local ordinances of a state within a country are never extended to visitors for the purposes of entry requirements.

As to attitudes on homosexuality - Apart from a few nordic and southern american countries; all are latently homophobic - including the U.K - One is more likely to be bullied for being gay, and of color in UK than being one in a school in India.

http://www.stonewall.org.uk/at_schoo...urces/7957.asp

Hmm, consensual same-sex activity is a crime in India. Which isn't the case in most of the civilized world.

It is, apparently based on an archaic British law. But word has it the law hasn't been enforced for decades now.

I believe in some US states sodomy even between consenting heterosexual partners is still illegal. Same for oral sex in some cases, I think. I believe there, it is still enforced sometimes. I am quite sure I heard of a case in recent years where indeed a consenting heterosexual couple were prosecuted for it.

Not since 2nd July 2009 it isn't.

It was reported at around that time that the high court or somesuch had decriminalized homosexuality in the wider Delhi/NCR area. Unless I'm mistaken, I think that's what you're referring to.

This was a result of a case filed by various prominent activists and artists and the likes against its criminalization, really quite long ago as in I think some decades, and pending forever. While I don't follow the matter closely, I think nationwide it is still pending. That NCR ruling would then presumably have been some sort of test case for it.

Nah, no es verdad. See Lawrence vs. Texas 2003..

Ah, I am glad to stand corrected on this one. I'm not looking it up, but maybe that was the case I was referring to, and it was overruled? Glad if it would have been.

All the way down in 2003, though... well, as they say, better late than never. One supposes. *Cough.*

(In the Netherlands, last thing I heard we're still debating whether what do you call it government marriage officials have a right to refuse to marry homosexuals based on their own moral objections. Even though by law you now can, it's a fairly recent development here, too, as I suppose it is in most places where it is. I mean you'd still be allowed to get married, but would just need to look for some other dude/ess to do it for you. What ff'ing business of theirs is it, one might wonder. Do the job you're paid for already. One can always resign, no, if one's heart finds it really impossible to overcome.)