Love Is Love

 

We all know that it is the bad, the crooked, the uncaring, the corrupt and violent individuals who make society unsafe. 

Nurturing, caring for, looking after, being happy with - do terms like these sound like something that ought to make society unsafe? How does it matter who you wish to spend your life with? Whether they are members from a different community, religion, of the same sex or from the opposite sex, should mutual love and respect be a reason for violence? 

Yet, it is difficult to ignore that the band of individuals who belong to the first category above are ever ready to use the minority card to stir trouble for the ones who are different from the majority. 

Becoming Zubin (as yet unpublished) is the story of one individual coming to terms with his sexuality. If you like determined heroes who are willing to fight for what they believe in, if you like youngsters who are game for a laugh, and fiction with a touch of romance, you'll enjoy this coming-of-age action adventure.

To the ones who are afraid to come out as LGBTQI+, I would simply say, read articles to understand and accept who you are. Here's one that explains the reasons individuals might want to / not want to come out. It goes on to explain things to keep in mind before you come out and much more. 
Be patient with the ones who are ignorant, prejudiced and homophobic. In India, homosexuality has, until recently, always been an open secret - something never to be discussed. So many of us grew up not knowing what it was. So many of us grew up not knowing a thing about sexuality, for that matter. Why not? In the days before the internet we only had our parents or teachers to look up to. And they didn't explain the birds and the bees to us. They thought they were protecting us but now we know better. Knowledge is power.

In this wonderful age of the internet, there's so much you can do. If you are, or feel you might be an LGBT+ individual in India, you can join support groups like the Humsafar Trust. 

 
Always remember, who you love, who you wish to nurture, who you wish to be with because they make you happy, and who reciprocate your feelings can never be wrong. 

Love Is Love.