A HOPE TO END SOCIETAL HYPOCRISY.
#TheSocioCommentSpecial
My mother called. Again. And again. And again. This time I had to take it; I couldn’t delay it further. She had found a new boy for me. Word was that he was ‘that kind’ too. Mothers, they’re never satisfied till their kids are ‘settled’!
Not everyone has a good understanding with their parents. Unfortunately, I’m one of them. On realizing that I have an interest in same-sex, gathering enough courage I went to talk it out with my parents. Undoubtedly, they tried to convince me that there no such case with me, did medical researches, and tests too. Eventually, they realized the certainty, though they still believe it to be a disease but somehow, they are quite firm with it.
Initially, this fact used to scare the hell out of me. I used to think why me. “Wherever I go, there I was”. Gradually I realized that it’s the gift of God-given only to his strongest contenders. After torturing myself by attempting to fit in, I comprehended “We shouldn’t hope for a life without problems. There’s no such thing. Instead, hope for a life full of good problems.”
After knowing a big truth, like many parents, mine also decided to conceal it from society and our relatives. Luckily, they didn’t disown me! My mom started searching guys for me to marry, who according to her had the same “disease” i.e., gay guys. Basically, she started searching for families who were willing to hide the fact too like them. Her ideology was “If a gay and a lesbian marry, they both can settle down with each other, through which society wouldn’t be aware of their rough edges and obviously no defame would come to their name. And it would be a win-win situation for both parties.
Eventually, this time she had found that “one family”. Evidently, they were called for brunch against my will. Almost in every part of the world, people who belong to the LGBT+ community, have a very difficult path to go. As in India, which I particularly faced, we are treated a lot differently than humans. It’s believed that we don’t deserve to be called as “humans”, we are a different species, we need to live in a separate community and can’t live our lives like a normal human. The satire here is, people from our community are invited for their auspicious moments, whether it’s an occasion of marriage or newborn, however, we continue to be a curse to mankind.
The family came around 12 p.m. with “the boy”. The color pink of his shirt reminded me of the pink auto movement initiated for women’s safety and employment. Indeed, the meeting was very awkward for both of us. Our families were trying to unite us in every possible way, though our faces could tell an absolutely different story of how we both wanted to run out and proclaim against the societal pressure, “Yes we are different from you people! Nevertheless, every human is different in a way or the other. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t capable of any human possible thing except reproduction (which is also possible now for some of us through medical processes). Stop treating us as a symbol of impurity!”
Both the families continued having conversations of how to perform the marriage ceremony, how many people to be invited, and all the formalities as of Indian marriage to show the society that their children were “normal”. Meanwhile, noticing the frustration of both of us they asked us to have a little chat in a separate room. Undeniably, he was a tall handsome man, but I had no curiosity to talk to him at all. To be honest I was like, “why couldn’t he convince his family to not get into all this hypocrisy”. Perhaps, he had the same complaint from me.
We went to the balcony swing of my room. Awkward silence remained. In the meantime, an aunty from my neighborhood came to her balcony. Unknown to the awkwardness of the moment passed her cheerful smile expressing her undesired approval for marriage to me. Breaking the ice, I asked, “Societal pressure or you’re afraid to admit the fact?”. “Family pressure because of society”, he replied. “Anyone special” both asked. Answers were the same “no”. After a little exchange of words, we both mutually decided that after the marriage, we would start an organization to succor the special ones like us. Knowing the fact that we can’t make a different world for them but surely would give our 100% to make them strong enough to face the society. The very moment my mom exclaimed with joy, “Marriage date has been fixed! Come downside the bride and groom to be!”. Another two lives were sacrificed in an attempt to abolish the societal hypocrisy. Hopefully this time for something better.
DEDICATED WITH LOVE, TO THE PEOPLE BELONGING TO LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
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