In Pictures: ‘Fair’ is OK in Matrimonial Ads but not ‘Gay’

‘Tall’, ‘fair’, ‘slim’, ‘good-looking’, ‘homely’ but not ‘gay’. That’s the state of matrimonial ads today.

(Photo: iStockPhoto)

Matrimonial advertisements are good for a laugh, but they reveal the true colours of Indian society, with our hypocrisy surrounding region, religion, skin-colour, caste, language and class laid bare.

The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community is extensively featured in the editorial pages but not in matrimonial columns. This was evident when all the leading newspapers of Mumbai rejected Padma’s matrimonial ad for a groom for her son Harish Iyer, a prominent LGBT activist.

The ad was finally published on Tuesday by Midday

All the leading dailies informed Iyer that it’s illegal to publish a gay matrimonial.

If it’s illegal to publish matrimonial ads for the LGBT community, then how is it fair to print ads that encourages casteism and regionalism?

The ad was issued in Hindustan Times on May 17, 2015

Note the emphasis on ‘income in crores’ and ‘fair’ above.

The ad was issued in Hindustan Times on May 17, 2015

And then: ‘very b’ful’ and ‘very fair’.

The ad was issued in Hindustan Times on May 17, 2015

‘Looks much younger.’ Ahem.

The ad was issued in Times Of India on May 17, 2015

‘Weight proportionate.’ Hmm.

The ad was issued in Times Of India on May 17, 2015

‘Very Fair’ again, and this promise: ‘Decent Marriage Assured’

And if you’ve lost all faith in other communities then you have your community matrimonial sites. Are you Reddy to find your soulmate?

‘Fair’, ‘handsome’, ‘slim’ rule the matrimonial column

So insidious and deep-rooted are these attitudes that even Harish Iyer’s ad stated, ‘IYER preferred’.

In an interview given to a leading national daily Harish claimed the caste preference was done in jest, in order to sound “typical.”