Accepting "Them" ....

A historical verdict passed by the Supreme court of India in 2018 decriminalised homosexuality in the country .However this is not enough . Alaw can grant recognition but dignity comes from social acceptability. The people who dared to go beyond the accepted norms of sexuality are the people who belong to the LGBTQ community. They are the Lesbians, the gays, the bisexuals, the transgenders, the gender-queers and all others who do not fit to the normally accepted gender-notions. These people struggled to get their right for their chosen way of lives. Homosexuality has been seen as a TABOO in the Indian society . Our society has failed over the years to understand that the choice of having a male, female or non-binary partner or even not having one is totally subjective . One cannot be forced to go against their own life choices . But again we cannot expect this to happen with a blink of an eye or so in India . The gender streotypes have been deeply routed in the Indian society and it will take time to change this view .

The LGBTQ community is one such category that has been subjected to constanttorture, harassment, exploitation and has been denied the right to equality in society. They have struggled for years to get their right not only in India but this is the story of LGBTQ community around the world .

A change in mindset is possible only once people start accepting that there is and can be a gender identity other than that of a man and a woman. People irrespective of their age and gender need to discuss the gender-dynamic openly so that taboos and confusions or myths about the LGBTQ community can be shed.

More and more people from the community need to be given representation in the public sphere so that members are not looked at with judgement and false assumptions. Adoption by same-sex couples should be made legal and laws relating to their marriage should be updated.

They have to be given equal right unlike any other citizens in the country and treated without discrimination and judgemental mind .

We have to change our mindset first to change the world . So let us begin with accepting them with all the love and respect .