Not a Closet. It's a Rainbow.

By: Veechika

In a world where we have nuclear weapons that could potentially mark the end of the world, why are we afraid of love? Why is it so easy to believe that ghosts exist, but so hard to understand that a man loves a man? How is homosexuality a sin but attacking them isn’t?

The answer to all these questions is simple. We are scared of things that are different from the ones we learnt. We are not willing to accept something that is uncommon. Just because only 10% of the world’s population is left-handed, it doesn’t make them wrong, and just because 90% of the world’s population is right-handed, it doesn’t make them right. It isn't right or wrong. It is just that way. Homosexuality is very similar.

Here are some common statements that people say about homosexuality.

“That’s so gay.”

Gay is not an insult. It is a sexual identity. Even though you might not mean to offend anyone, it is still wrong to use gay as an insult. Just imagine, what would be the opposite of this insult? If you dislike a movie you would say “It’s so gay!” and if you liked the movie, would you say, “It’s so straight” ?

“He looks gay.”

If a man looks or acts feminine, people comment that he looks gay. Homosexual does not come with a user manual. There is no particular way a homosexual or heterosexual person acts. It is just a matter of personality, that differs from person to person, and has nothing to do with their sexual identity.

“It’s something unnatural”

Well, homosexuality is found in over 450 species and homophobia is found in only one. What do you think is unnatural?

“Maybe they have the wrong gene.”

Based on the genetic research of sexuality published in the journal Science, there is no single gene that is responsible for a person being homosexual. The report finds that human DNA cannot predict who is homosexual or heterosexual. So no, everyone has the same gene.

“Homosexuality is a sin!”

Do people really believe that God will judge people based on who they love, and not judge those who hate a person who they haven’t even met?

Being homosexual isn’t a sin, but making their lives miserable definitely is. The supreme quality that we must all believe in, is that of humanity, that every human being is an image bearer of God, and therefore worthy of dignity and being treated equally to others.

“It’s just a phase. They could just choose not to be homosexual.”

Homosexuality is not a hobby that one could just stop doing. As the famous quote goes, “You don’t choose who you fall in love with.”, applies just as much to homosexuals as it does to heterosexuals. If you think being gay is a choice, when did you choose to be straight? Homosexuality is not just a choice, but homophobia definitely is a choice.

“It’s a trend these days.”

Homosexuality is not a new concept that gained popularity now. Many were murdered in the past or died by suicide. Most of them stayed in the closet because they were scared. People are just learning to open up and feel confident about their identities. The society in general is becoming more accepting towards homosexuality. We can see multiple protests, speakeasies and discussions that cater to it.

“Homosexuality is against our culture”

There are repeated references that acknowledge the existence of homosexuality in ancient India. One of the most important proofs of the existence of homosexuality in India can be seen in the sculptures in the Khajuraho temple in Madhya Pradesh. There is another famous story in the ancient scripture of Rig Veda of Varuna and Mitra, referred to as ‘the same gender couple’, who had children together. Amara Das Wilhelm’s book “Tritiya-Prakriti”, is an extensive research of ancient Sanskrit texts from medieval and ancient India. The book proves that homosexuals and transgenders were not in only existence but were also widely accepted in the society.

For something as normal as choosing a partner, every year, millions of people across the world suffer physical, sexual and psychological abuse. Hate crimes range from aggressive psychological bullying to physical torture, kidnapping and murders. Recent studies show that an average of 2,04,600 hate crimes against homosexuals are reported annually around the world. Many people who experience hate crimes do not even report the incidents due to various reasons. Many teenagers have died of suicide due to the extreme bullying and trauma of being homosexual.

In recent years, many countries around the world have made efforts to strengthen the human rights protection for the LGBT community. Many new laws have been adopted, ranging from banning discrimination, legalizing same-sex relationships, laws against hate crimes and making it easier for transgenders to obtain documents which reflect their preferred gender. In 2018, a landmark decision was taken in the Supreme Court of India, that decriminalized consensual homosexual intercourse by reading down the Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Under the legislation passed in 2019, transgender people are allowed to change their legal gender post sex reassignment surgery and also have the constitutional right to register themselves under a third gender.

Despite strong movements in favor of the LGBT rights, there remains widespread homophobia among the people. In 2010s, LGBT people in India saw a more modern approach especially in the cities. Although homosexuality is a taboo among the older generations of India, the youth which refers to the millennials and Generation-Z, that is those aged 18-38, are more accepting towards homosexuality. Self-expression among the youth has never been greater than in the Snapchat and Instagram generation. With the increased exposure to various websites, blogs, videos, posts, web series and movies, the youth is more aware and understanding of homosexuality and queerness.

Indian cinema and web series are also taking up homosexual relationships as their major theme. Cinemas like ‘Shubh mangal zyada saavdhan’ and ‘Ek ladki ko dekha tho aisa laga’ give a social message and educate people about homosexuality. Web series like, ‘Mismatched’, ‘Feels like ishq’, ‘Firsts Season 3’, ‘Made in heaven’, ‘Married woman’ and ‘Four more shots please!’ portray homosexual relationships along with heterosexual ones. There are a lot of other movies and web series in other languages that give out more information about the LGBTQ+ community.

In urban India, where social media and social initiatives have created awareness of LGBTQ+ community, the scenario in rural parts of India is quite different. Voices of the LGBT although heard in different platforms, do not expose all the challenges faced by the community. Indian society is bound by a set of social and cultural norms and coming out in such a society can be hard. Support from family and friends can help them lead a happy life.

We can bridge the gap between reality and a truly inclusive society when all the people are treated equally, regardless of who they are or who they love. The day we achieve this, nobody will have to ‘come out of the closet’, we can just say who we love and that is all that will matter.