Very recently we heard that the United States legalized gay marriages in all of its 50 states which meant, the country accepted love in any gender and they believe that gay and lesbian marriages are not hampering the prosperity of the society in any way, but are actually a step towards becoming a better country. We all saw rainbow tinted display pictures on Facebook and we all saw how the Indians are thinking that now it is their country’s turn. But exactly how far fetched is this cry? Will India ever become a country to legalize same sex marriages? Here are a few things we need to keep in mind-
What happened when we tried – It wasn’t very long ago that the Indian judicial system disagreed on legalizing sex between gay and lesbian couples, the infamous section 377 was in the news for the longest time and none of the gay pride walks and protests could do anything to change the mind of the Indian judiciary. A couple of days ago when, after hearing about the US, the same question was put in front of the law minister, he clearly said that they had no plans of scrapping the law.
How cool is the Indian mentality – I think the greatest achievement of the United State of America was the empathy it had for people who are gay. Unlike India, they consider it to be completely fine if a man loves another man or a woman loves another woman. In India, however, we get to hear sick comments, like- it is unnatural, they have a mental disorder, they have a genetic disorder, or even that gay people are under some bad influence. Acceptance is the biggest struggle for our country.
How truthful are we – Let’s face it, half of us are not even sure if we can go and talk to our parents or friends about it because of the taboo that is attached to being a homosexual. People are still struggling to figure out how to roll the dice at home, expecting support from an entire country is almost implausible. Also, the one who cannot accept himself or herself cannot expect the world to accept them. We need to be sure of ourselves if we want to fight this battle and come out a winner. Homosexuality is not a crime, stop making yourself feel so small and wrong.
What homosexuals have to go through in our country – Barring a few who do have support from the people that matter to them, the homosexuals usually have to put up with nonsensical talks and comments or even mental torture. They are stereotyped, people have an image of gay men in their minds and they expect a homosexual to walk or talk in a particular way. They are asked stupid questions like how do they plan to get out of it or how could someone treat their kid who is suffering from homosexuality. Not being accepted by the society you live in or, even worse, having to pretend like someone you are not is the worst thing that can happen to a human being.
I may not be sure as to how we can reach a point where people and their choices are accepted in a society like ours, but I know that conformity is not the only rule of nature. There can always be a huge difference between what we think is right and what is actually right. We, the Indians, have a long way to go if we want to be even remotely as prosperous or developed as the US of A. Acceptance will only be a step forward, a step towards happiness of so many people. A step towards a better thinking and giving the homosexuals the right to live the way they want to.
I am not the one who can predict the future and script the coming day but for now, even if we may or we may not allow the gay marriages, we are not ready for it as a nation. The acceptance level has to be increased and a common program must be agreed upon! At the same time, this is something that can not be merely uptake by implementing the laws rather a change in the mindset of the people is required primarly.