Perspectives

5.

It was just another day. I was on the way to my not so boring 9 to 5 routine job. After successfully entering into the ladies compartment during peak hours, I took out my phone. I wanted to get back to the current scenario of our nation. After re-opening the tab I was on, the first news I saw was about a couple of homophobic people beating up a gay couple.

I was struck by the realisation that, even after 71 years of independence, we as individuals weren't allowed to express ourselves. We weren't allowed the freedom to express our love for our near and dear ones without there being consequences for it. I felt disgusted with the notion.

The cherry on the cake is section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises homosexuality. The section refers to the colonial era legislation pertaining to 'unnatural offences' and serves as a law that criminalises sexual activities 'against the law of nature'.

Being a polysexual myself, I found it difficult to accept the unfairness of it all. They say that self-acceptance is the key to happiness, but I'd realised long ago that it was something that I lacked. Coming from a family that motivated reading, I was well aware of the LGBTQ+ community. Then, when I was in 12th grade, I realised that I liked people for their personalities, irrespective of their gender. I had dated a lot of people of different genders before that. Somehow, until 12th grade, it had never struck me as something unusual.

Eventually, I identified myself as a Polysexual and officially became a part of the LGBTQ+ community. To my surprise, my family wasn't as accepting as I had thought it would be. I had to face negative comments from many of my friends and colleagues. It reached a point where I thought that self-harm was the only solution. I had learnt to make this darkness my home and I had lost all the motivation to fight against this cruel world.

All this time, the only person who was by my side was my childhood best friend Neha. She gave me the courage to express myself, to accept myself for who I am. She helped me to become a self-accepting and self-loving person. A few years ago, I found myself falling for her. We've been together since then. However, the Indian constitution denies us the right to express our love for each other.

A loud ringtone interrupted my train of thoughts. With a jolt, I realised that it was my own. I picked up the call without looking at the caller ID. It was Neha. At first, I couldn't understand a single part of what she was saying. She was downright shrieking about something. Exasperated, I asked her to calm down and repeat herself. With happiness oozing out of her voice, Neha said: "Now no one can punish me for expressing my love to you publicly. The Supreme Court has decriminalised section 377. We now have the right to express our sexual preferences without being punished for it."

It took me at least five minutes to soak it in. I couldn't believe that something like this could actually happen. I realised that somewhere inside me, I had given up on ever being accepted. The realisation that that I now had the freedom to express my love for anyone I want to, that nothing, not even the law could take away my happiness, left me ecstatic. I felt happy for the millions of other individuals like me.

Although India has come a long way, I still feel that we have just won a battle and not the whole war. We still have a long way to go. People have yet to let go of their orthodox mindset and be accepting to all, irrespective of their sexuality. That is something that will take place over years. In a society where women are still looked down upon, I can't imagine people of The LGBTQ+ community was being accepted. Despite all of this, I'm proud to be a part of a nation which is willing to look past its differences. A nation which, hopefully, one day, would be devoid of discrimination altogether.

-Rtr.Vagisha Purohit