Gay couple go viral with pre-wedding photoshoot, receive internet love


Daijiworld Media Network - Kochi (SHP)
 
Kochi, Dec 13: Pre-wedding photoshoots of same-sex couple Nived Antony Chullickal and Abdul Rehim recently went viral along with the message the pictures carried. One of the main reasons the men wanted to send across was that gay marriage is like any other wedding and are perfectly 'normal.'

“We didn’t expect it to go viral at all. It wasn’t done to get publicity but to spread the message to people in my community that this is possible, this is normal,” says Nived, a 27-year-old Client Coordinator at Teleradiology Solutions in Bengaluru.

“We did the photoshoot because we wanted to do everything that normal couples do for their weddings. So, we have planned for haldi, sangeet, mehendi and everything,” Nived added.

The duo from Kerala is keen on starting the new year on a special note and therefore is looking forward to getting married before 2019 ends.

The romantic photoshoot was captured in two parts, one at their home with their pet dogs and guinea pigs and the other out in a natural setting has received a lot of appreciation.

“We did it to show that gay couple shoots can be as beautiful and romantic as any other couple shoot and there’s nothing cringy or vulgar about it,” Nived clarified as previous photoshoots by couples from the LGBTQ community received criticism.

Talking about his coming-out experience, Nived assured that it will get better with time. "I know how scary it can be. Coming out is not easy. Openly expressing your love is sadly still not easy in our country and it might come to haunt you for some time. But once that light shines on you it just gets better,” he said.

The duo has been in a relationship with each other for over five years now and when the Supreme Court partially revoked Article 377 in 2018, Nived and Abdul knew they wanted to be together. Nived recalls that it was his 32-year-old partner Abdul who works in the UAE popped the question.

“Abdul proposed. We initially used to think maybe we would get married in the US or Canada, as we had to be a little discreet with the law hanging over our head. But when it happened, we thought, ‘Why not in India?’”

Although the couple claims to have not received any hate online and has no space for negativity in their life, their families are not on board. Besides, Nived stated that one of the things to salvage at this point was that their families are of the peaceful kind and not the threatening kind.

“We have our friends, colleagues and family from the community who support and love us to the bones, and we couldn’t have been any happier and grateful,” he said.

Nived finds solace in his trans-mom, Sweety Bernad, Malayalam Jeevan TV newsreader who went viral in 2018 for breaking barriers. He also has a trans-sister, Sathya Narayanan who will be present for all the pre-wedding ceremonies.

Two years down the line, the couple is looking forward to having a baby to complete their family and have a close friend who has agreed to be their surrogate mother.

“We always used to think about having kids but wasn’t sure how. Although surrogacy for a same-sex couple isn’t an option now, through IVF we can achieve it. Having someone agreeing to do it for us, it is the best gift.”

“In the end, I feel, everything works out so, for anybody out there deciding to follow this path, we just want to show this is possible. You can make it normal and it will be normal one day,” Nived added.

Following through with the marriage will make Nived and Abdul Kerala’s second openly married gay couple.

  

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Title: Gay couple go viral with pre-wedding photoshoot, receive internet love



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