STRAIGHT OR GAY
The nosy neighbor or incredulous relative asks, “Are you gay?”
“What’s it to you what I am!,” you scream in your head, but shrug your shoulders and walk away. Or worse, you lie.
Who is to say what is right or wrong and how we should lead our lives? How can we discriminate and differentiate against people on the basis of their colour, their religion, their job or even more so, their sexual orientation.
Movies and television series have tried to touch upon and unravel LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) issues, but what has the impact really been?
Hollywood has given us brilliant movies highlighting the plight of gay and transgender individuals like Boys don’t cry, Transamerica and A girl like me.
While two of these films were true stories and one pure fiction, each of them was believable and real in how they captured the conflict in a person’s mind when dealing with their sexual identity and standing up to society. American and British television is not far behind with a wide spectrum of work like Queer as Folk, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and several others.
While international cinema has brought upon a tremendous change in the understanding and level of tolerance towards the LGBT community, what does Indian Cinema have to offer? Save a few and far in between projects like My Brother Nikhil, at best, most movies and TV shows dealing with homosexuality and transgender issues are mediocre attempts at ridiculing a person just because they are not heterosexual! The representation of homosexuals in films like Kal ho na ho and Dostana are atrocious. The countless jokes on TV regarding homosexual characters only succeed in disgusting you. The LGBT community doesn’t take too well to straight people playing gay characters and feel that the projection and messaging is wrong.
Of course, we need to remind ourselves that the Indian Cinema is merely imitating the Indian society. We have the tendency to condemn what we don't understand. So why not take the time to understand it better rather than turn a blind eye!
What is even more depressing is that influential homosexuals in all walks of life, be it actors, filmmakers, fashion designers, educators or businessmen do not come forth and declare their identity or even lend support to others like themselves in society.
Nature chooses who we are; individuals don't choose this. There is always more to be learnt about tolerance, so let this be an eye opener so that if a loved one someday needs your support, you don’t shy away from it.
If living with pride and dignity and accepting and loving myself the way I am is wrong, then I don’t ever want to be right in my life.
