Benhur Samson, an NRI, has set up India’s first Gay marriage bureau for homosexuals to help gay people find the right match for them.

• The general belief is that most homosexuals tend to identify their own partners and settle with them.
• But Benhur Samson, who used to help gays with surrogacy in India till 2013, was surprised when he received requests from them regarding prospective life partners.
• Samson started the arranged gay marriage service to cater to such persons. He has also roped in the gay prince of Rajpipla, Manvendrasingh Gohil, as a consultant, along with lawyers to look into the legal aspects of the marriages, including immigration if an Indian marries a person abroad.
• The bureau has so far received around 250 inquiries and around 24 people are enrolled with us, he said, adding that the process to identifying the right match for them is on.

The bureau charges $5,000 so that only serious candidates came forward to look for their match. If in case the person does not find the match the money charged is refundable.

Did You Know?

• No research has conclusively proven what causes homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.
• Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, and Argentina.
• The first U.S. novel to touch on the subject of homosexuality is Bayard Taylor’s 1870 Joseph and His Friend.
• The first lesbian organization in the United States was formed in 1955. Called the Daughters of Bilitis, it was founded in San Francisco by Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.