Love knows no barriers: Kerala trans couple ties knot on Valentine’s Day

Syama said they were happy at being able to tie the knot on a day when love is celebrated. “We didn’t plan to get married on Valentine’s Day.
Couple Syama S Prabha and Manu Karthika with their parents during their wedding in the capital on Monday. (Photo | Vincent Pulickal/EPS)
Couple Syama S Prabha and Manu Karthika with their parents during their wedding in the capital on Monday. (Photo | Vincent Pulickal/EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city witnessed a rainbow wedding on Valentine’s Day as trans couple Syama S Prabha and Manu Karthika tied the knot. At a ceremony in Edappazhanji, the duo tied the knot in the presence of their friends and family.

Syama said they were happy at being able to tie the knot on a day when love is celebrated.

“We didn’t plan to get married on Valentine’s Day. Our parents believe in horoscope and the date was considered auspicious. On this day, I hope people accept all kinds of love,” she said.

Manu works as a senior HR executive at a firm in Technopark while Syama is the project officer at the Transgender Cell in Social Justice Department.

The duo met in 2010 when they became friends, being part of the queer movement in Kerala. In 2017, Manu proposed to Syama.

“We both had a lot of responsibilities at home, with both of us being the elder kids in the family. It is only after we took care of the major familial responsibilities that we decided to tie the knot,” said Syama.

The couple is gearing up for a legal fight as they plan to register the marriage under their transgender identity.

“We have both changed our identities as transwoman and transman and it is so in all our certificates. We want to register the marriage also as transgenders. So we will be filing a PIL soon,” said Syama. She said they will continue to fight for the rights of trans community.

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