Fake "Marriages of Convenience" Protecting Gay Asians

by Discreet Serpent

I read this article about gay Asians who resort to "marriages of convenience" just to protect themselves from the restrictive societies that they live in. They find a gay person of the opposite sex (gay guys look for lesbians, and vice versa), agree to marry them, and make everybody else think that they are living a "normal" and "happy" life.

image courtesy of merryrelationships.com

The guy in the article, Tariq, makes the marriage look genuine by making it look like his "wife" is actually living with him in his flat. He keeps some of her belongings scattered around the house, and even go as far as leaving "love letters" and "anniversary cards" in visible places. In reality, he lives alone and his wife stays with her lesbian lover a few minutes away.

Tariq and his wife did not unite in marriage just for fun. There are real dangers for people like them in certain Asian countries. If they reveal their true sexuality to others, they are facing the probability of being disowned or even physically hurt.

Here are some details on the status of homosexuality in select Asian countries:

Bangladesh: Homosexual activity is punishable between 10 years to life imprisonment. Gay individuals are not allowed in the military. There are also no laws against discrimination.

India: A colonial ban on homosexuality was overturned in 2009, but was re-instated four years later. Homosexual activity is punishable with up to life in jail.

Pakistan: Homosexual activities punishable between two years to life in jail. A“third gender,” however, is officially protected from discrimination.

Sri Lanka: Homosexual acts are illegal. There are no laws protecting gender identity. The LGBT community is not recognized.

Apparently, there are hundreds of similar couples living a lie just to avoid societal pressures. It is not uncommon for gay people to post "want ads" in websites, searching for someone who can go through the charade with them. People would rather get married to strangers who can help them live a semblance of a normal life, than risk being discovered, ridiculed, and penalized for being who they are.

image courtesy of anew-place.com

A marriage of convenience is not exactly ideal, for obvious reasons. In a perfect world, a person would enter into a marriage contract with someone that he truly loves and cherishes. If a marriage is made for any other reason than wanting to spend the rest of your life with your partner, then it will serve more like a prison. I can imagine how difficult the decision to get married with someone you don't truly love (or desire) can be. It's a terrible thing, and is against every moral fiber of the society. Being forced into one, however, is a fate that nobody deserves.


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