You'll note that the bride is actually a transsexual. However, the individual apparently was first desexed in a hijra ceremony. This link is probably only good for today (5 March 2005).

Sonia's love at first sight (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... 042088.cms)

AHMEDABAD: It's a dream wedding with expensive gifts and a lavish ceremony in place. But there is a twist - the bride in the love story is a eunuch.

Sonia Ajmeri, a eunuch, is all set to marry his childhood sweetheart, a pilot.

Sonia, who hit the headlines for contesting against then deputy prime minister L.K. Advani in the general elections last year, is thrilled.

"I know our marriage sounds controversial. But our love is sacred. He promises to love me forever," 26-year-old Sonia told IANS on the sides of his mehendi ceremony.

It was love at first sight when she met Amarish (name changed), now a probationary pilot with Air-India.

The wedding ceremony is taking place in a temple on Saturday, to be followed by a lavish reception the next day at a five-star restaurant.

Sonia, nee Imran, began having a difficult childhood as his sexual orientation came to light. His parents, who were senior bureaucrats in the state government, consulted doctors as well as traditional healers, while he avoided the company of other boys and behaved liked a girl.

He was educated partly at a convent in Panchgini, a hill station in the neighbouring Maharashtra.

He courted the company of eunuchs and sought solace at the temples of Bahuchar, the Hindu goddess believed to be the patron of the eunuch community, though he is Muslim.

The community too adopted him about six years ago after performing traditional rituals. "That move alienated me from my family. Amarish, however, stood by me," he said.

"When Amarish proposed to me, I laughed and thought it was a joke, but he insisted.

"I told him that his love was enough for me, but he wanted to formalise the relationship. I was thrilled, but the two families were opposed to the idea. They agreed to it only when we threatened to commit suicide," she said.

"I know our marriage will be different. But there is more to marriage than sex. Our relationship need not be physical," she said.

Though she was operated upon for sex change in Paris recently, she cannot conceive.

"Aren't there many couples who are childless? We will pray to Bahuchar Mata and to Khwaja Garib Nawaz of Ajmer for a child, but all the same, we have decided to adopt a child," Sonia said.

Expected to participate in the weekend events were over 1,000 eunuchs not only from his Mirzapur neighbourhood, but also from abroad, as he is the founder-president of the World Kinnar (Eunuch) Association.

They were going to take out a procession for the ritual of "Mameru" of gifts from the bride's maternal uncle.

Gift's from the 'bride's' maternal uncle were expected to include two kilograms of gold, 12 kg of silver, a car, a refrigerator, a TV set, a washing machine, a cell phone and 1,000 copper utensils.

Sonia did his wedding shopping in Mumbai last weekend. The "chaniya-choli" or trousseau he is to wear for the event, created by a fashion designer, will cost Rs.1,00,000.

"My community too is overjoyed," he said with a blush.

Although I must assume that the bride in this instance has gone through the procedure of changing her gender identity with civil authorities, this demonstrates another fine example of the flexibility of the institution of marriage. Two biological males will be married.

I'm sure this occurs frequently. I'm acquainted with a transsexual woman here in Vancouver, BC, that's betrothed to a male in Britain. While still possessing her male genitals, she has been receiving female hormones and fully living as a woman for approximately ten years. She started the transition young enough that she did not possess a lot o' male secondary characteristics in any event. While Canadian law currently permits same-sex marriage, I'm not sure this couple isn't awaiting her genital surgery before formally tying the knot.