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Becoming Zubin (as yet unpublished) is the story of one individual coming to terms with his sexuality.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.

Does The LGBT Community Stereotype Straights?

One usually hears of the heterosexual majority stereotyping the LGBT community, but recently I've seen some in the LGBT community hitting back. Here’s what I’ve heard them say. Heterosexuals are, among other things, boring, stupid, loud mouthed and ignorant

Sridhar Rangayan - LGBT rights activist
and Justin Trudeau - Canadian PM

It is smart to have 'attitude'. Laughter is a great antidote to and a release from centuries of having to swallow the anger and misery heterosexuals have put you through. Not only have they been ignorant, they've been indifferent to the pain they've inflicted through that ignorance. Their prejudice has meant your having to face their secret sniggers. Pay-back is gratifying. 

Some heterosexuals deserve everything you give. They choose to remain obnoxious and close-minded even today, in the age of the internet.  

What about the rest? The best way to get them on board is to remain approachable; to engage with them. 

The image above is a prime example of two individuals who are great role models. One needs no introduction. The other, Sridhar Rangayan, is well known within the homosexual community. He has worked tirelessly to promote the cause. He has addressed the prejudice, ignorance and fear relentlessly, but politely, and with a lot of patience. His passion is to make movies with LGBT themes so people understand what homosexual individuals go through at the hands of heterosexuals. 

If 7% of the population is homosexual and 93% heterosexual, he knows he needs to get sympathetic heterosexuals (and there are many), on board.

He has read the unspoken messages in the eyes of ignorant and prejudiced individuals a million times more than many young homosexuals. The, ‘Oh, how odd. He likes men/she likes women.’ kind. And yet, he prefers to remain approachable. 

We all know that this perception of your sexual preferences being odd, has got to go. We've seen how it colours every thought and action of many whose likes are more mainstream. Thinking of the homosexual community along those lines is absurd. I've yet to come across two heterosexuals thinking in that cringe-worthy manner when they are introduced to one another. Why single out homosexuals for that 'honour'?

But changing this perception can happen only if the lines of communication are open. There is humanity on all sides and there are some who will understand, like the other man in the photo - Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister. 

You've just got to reach out. You need to help people see that someone's sexual orientation is what it is. It is nothing against nature. Help them understand that there is more depth, complexities and layers beyond.

So, go ahead. Call us ignorant, stupid or prejudiced. 

Just let it remain within the realm of harmless fun. Okay?







Sridhar's Facebook link - a lot of support at this link for homosexuals. Huge support from Friends of Homosexuals here, too. 

All images from here