The Supreme Court of India will shortly issue a landmark decision on same-sex marriage. The decision might be life-changing for many couples.

After taking up a number of pending cases from lower courts, the court is set to hear a number of petitions on marriage equality.

Marriage in India is controlled by a series of religious rules that date back to the colonial era and vary by faith, as well as a secular statute known as the Special Marriage Act. Marriage is defined by both as the uniting of a man and a woman. According to the Indian government, legalizing same-sex marriage would necessitate a major revision of the country’s legal structure.

The appeals will be heard on March 13th. There’s a potential that judges may declare marriage equality the rule of the state; after all, it was the court that decriminalized homosexuality in 2018.

While marriage would not be the end of the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in India – many say that enacting an anti-discrimination law is more important – it would be a significant step towards equality.