‘Love is love’, this hashtag has made enough noise by now. For those who aren’t still aware of it, #loveislove is used for showing the support to the LGBT that is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, on various social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook etc.
During the British rule, same sex relationships were made illegal. In the year 2018, amendments were made in Section 377, under which consensual homosexual sex was decriminalised. Whereas, the same sex marriages in India are still prohibited. Though the supporters of the LGBT community are continuously fighting for it. And why not, after all love should be allowed to be love, in any case.
It is the purest form of feelings between any of the two individuals. When there is mutual consent, mutual feelings, understanding then that relationship should have the right to be accepted by our society. Moreover, countries like Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, and New Zealand and many more have accepted and legally performed such weddings.
The entertainment industry is also continuously making efforts to support the LGBT folks. Tarun Mansukhani’s Dostana was the first one to properly introduce the Gay concept. Post 2018 judgement, Ayushmann starrer Shubh Mangal Zada Savdhan was a full rom-com family film that explained the whole struggle of a LGBT couple in India. Another movie which showed a lesbian relationship was Sonam Kapoor starrer ‘Ek Ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga’.
Even the web streaming platforms are highly concentrating on such concepts. Made in Heaven, the wedding planning story involves a Gay in the main cast. The person is shown to have been facing numerous hardships. Not only society but his own friends and family aren’t shown to be supportive. The other very famous web series which shows the Lesbian tie-up is the Four more shots please. The two girls are seen fighting against the odds and trying hard to protect their bond and make it everlasting.
Vikas Gupta the famous Indian producer and Ex-Bigg Boss contestant also came out to be bisexual; he mentioned his instagram post that him being a bisexual won’t dampen his reputation. In India, when many celebrities believe that the Gay or Lesbian tag can ruin their image completely. This is indeed a brave move. Actually many people after the year 2018 openly came to talk about their distinctive sexuality. They proudly accepted ‘who they are’. Though a few homosexual actors and actresses hold the opinion that mentioning their sexuality openly, will make the audience feel less connected to them. Or in other words the people won’t get along with their on-screen chemistry.
June, that is considered to be the pride month is now welcomed with tons of LGBT stories on social media. To celebrate this month, a very interesting LGBT wedding was witnessed by the people of Vienna. The virtual AI assistants Alexa and Siri got hitched in a full fledged ceremony with all the wedding vows and were announced wife and wife. This was a great step to promote and support the LGBT community.
In India some struggle stories actually demand attention, they are meant to be heard. The stories that will definitely impact your mind and heart in a certain way are as below;
This Lucknow girl exclaims the experience of her first pride parade in 2017. She mentions how she collected a few of the girls near Hazratganj chauraha for the parade through instagram and facebook. The amount of disgrace and opposition she received was quite a lot. According to her, post the Supreme Court decision it became quite easy to express your opinion and talk about the welfare of the queer community.
This story is my personal favourite. The Mumbai resident, Arnab Nandy is a Gay by his sexuality. As soon as the homosexuality got license in the society, he quickly shared a heart-warming picture of himself and his family. The picture showed his folks holding a banner with the words ‘My son is Not a Criminal anymore’. He was told by his mother to broadcast his sexual orientation immediately after the judgement.
The thought process of our society is improving day by day, but according to a poll, more than half of the Indians aren’t still accepting the queer community. The LGBT people are still suffering for something that’s not even their fault. The sexual orientation of any person is God's gift and not his own choice. Society cannot punish a person throughout his life for the fault he hasn’t committed. They too deserve equality and respect.
The change begins at home. It is our duty to stand for the right and raise our voices through different channels. We should continuously try to educate the people around us to be humble and acceptable towards the LGBT fellows. Let’s just hope that one day our country, India will be a happy place for the Queer community.
