Stand with OUT Moris and other organisations calling for equal marriage
London, UK – 17 September 2026
The Peter Tatchell Foundation (PTF) stands with OUT Moris & other organisations and campaigners calling for marriage equality in Mauritius.
The campaign comes at a crucial moment. Last month, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) concluded that Mauritian law contains no explicit prohibition on marriage between people of the same sex and said that the refusal by the Civil Status Office could constitute discrimination based on sexual orientation.
This finding should not be ignored. The Mauritian Government must now address this inequality facing same sex couples.
LGBT+ people in Mauritius are entitled to the same rights, freedoms and legal recognition as everyone else, including the right to marry the person they love.
Pliny Soocoormanee, Executive Officer of the Peter Tatchell Foundation & Mauritian national, said:
“LGBT+ people are not asking for any special rights. We are simply asking for equal rights. Why should one couple have fewer rights than another simply because they are of the same sex?”
Pliny, who entered into a civil union with his partner, Jayraj Juggessur, in the United Kingdom last year, added:
“My relationship is legally recognised in the United Kingdom, but it is currently not recognised in Mauritius. That is why this issue matters to me personally.
“I fully understand that Mauritius is a multi-religious and multicultural society, and we respect the right of every faith to determine its own religious practices.
“We are not asking religious institutions to officiate same-sex weddings or to change their beliefs. We are asking the State to treat its citizens equally.”
Religious freedom & equality before the law are not competing values. They can and must coexist.
No religious community should be compelled to perform a ceremony that conflicts with its beliefs. But religious beliefs should not determine whether the State grants equal civil rights to its citizens.
We call on the Mauritian Government to engage seriously and constructively with OUT Moris, Young Queer Alliance, Collectif Arc-en-Ciel, the NHRC and wider civil society, and take the necessary steps towards equal marriage rights for all Mauritians.
Equality before the law should mean equality for everyone.