LGBTQ+ campaigners in Mauritius are renewing calls for marriage equality after the country's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) concluded that there is no explicit legal ban on marriage between two people of the same sex.
The Peter Tatchell Foundation has joined Mauritian LGBTQ+ organisations, including OUT Moris, the Young Queer Alliance and Collectif Arc-en-Ciel, in urging the government to introduce equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
The campaign gained momentum after the NHRC said last month that Mauritian law does not explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage and suggested that the Civil Status Office's refusal to allow same-sex couples to marry could amount to discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Campaigners say the finding represents a significant opportunity for the government to address what they describe as a longstanding inequality.
"The Mauritian Government must now address this inequality facing same-sex couples," the Peter Tatchell Foundation said in a statement. "LGBTQ+ people in Mauritius are entitled to the same rights, freedoms and legal recognition as everyone else, including the right to marry the person they love."
Pliny Soocoormanee, Executive Officer of the Peter Tatchell Foundation and a Mauritian national, said marriage equality was a matter of equal treatment under the law. "LGBTQ+ people are not asking for any special rights. We are simply asking for equal rights," he said. "Why should one couple have fewer rights than another simply because they are of the same sex?"
Contributor
The issue is also a personal one for Soocoormanee, who entered into a civil union with his partner, Jayraj Juggessur, in the UK last year. "My relationship is legally recognised in the United Kingdom, but it is currently not recognised in Mauritius," he said. "That is why this issue matters to me personally."
He stressed that campaigners were not seeking to force religious institutions to conduct same-sex weddings. "I fully understand that Mauritius is a multi-religious and multicultural society, and we respect the right of every faith to determine its own religious practices," he said.
"We are not asking religious institutions to officiate same-sex weddings or to change their beliefs. We are asking the State to treat its citizens equally."
Campaigners argue that religious freedom and marriage equality are compatible, saying no faith group should be compelled to perform ceremonies that conflict with its beliefs, while civil marriage should be available to all couples regardless of sexual orientation.
The Peter Tatchell Foundation has called on the Mauritian Government to engage with LGBTQ+ organisations and civil society groups following the NHRC's findings and to take steps towards introducing equal marriage rights.
The latest push comes amid a period of significant change for LGBTQ+ rights in Mauritius. In 2023, the country's Supreme Court struck down colonial-era laws criminalising consensual same-sex relations, a landmark victory celebrated by LGBTQ+ activists. Campaigners now hope marriage equality will be the next major step in advancing legal recognition for LGBTQ+ people on the island.
"Equality before the law should mean equality for everyone," the Foundation said.
Scene was founded in Brighton in 1993, at a time when news stories about Pride protests were considered radical.
Since then, Scene has remained proudly independent, building a platform for queer voices. Every subscription helps us to report on the stories that matter to LGBTQ+ people across the UK and beyond.
Your support funds our journalists and contributes to Pride Community Foundation’s grant-making and policy work.
Member discussion