NRIs denied ‘marriage’ licence in Seattle

Two non-resident Indians, who openly admit they are lesbians, were denied a ‘‘marriage’’ license in Seattle following which they filed a suit against the American state saying their civil rights have been violated.

The two — Vegavahini Subramaniam and Vaijayanthimala Nagarajan — who go by the names of ‘‘Vega’’ and ‘‘Mala’’, said they were denied a ‘‘marriage’’ licence in King County in Washington state on Monday in response to which they had filed a suit against the state, according to a media report.

The two met through a women’s e-mail list-service in 1996 and moved from Olympia to Seattle in 2000, and the following year, bought a house together, Seattle media reported.

In 2002, they claim, they were united in a Hindu wedding ceremony officiated by a Hindu priest. But they said they wanted to marry within the US legal system because it’s important to them that all couples be able to receive the same benefits.