Orientation

I didn’t know anything about homosexuality till I went to study in UK.

As a child, the church indoctrinated me from the very young age that homosexuality is a sin, so I never even spent any time thinking about it as it was something that didn’t exist in my life. Even after leaving the church system, homosexuality still wasn’t part of my life, it was also not part of my medical curriculum. We were never taught anything about homosexuality as if it is something that didn’t exist. The only gay person  I knew while doing Medicine was Freddie Mercury ! But again he was a famous singer and his sexual orientation didn’t matter to me. In my world all inhabitants were straight.

During the student orientation day at my University in UK, I was given a bag full of pamphlets and student news papers. When I waited for the bus to go back home, I went through the pamphlets and I was scandalized! There was a full news paper for gay people. I quickly threw it off in the bin before anyone could see me reading it, let alone hold it in my hand.

But slowly, I met normal people who didn’t share the same sexual orientation as me and I learned that they are just like me..humans..with the same ideals and goals that I have with the only difference is in their choice of sexual partners. I learned that I do not have any right to judge another person based on their sexual orientation. Today if I am upset, the first person I call is my best friend who is a Dr and is openly gay. He is compassionate, gentle and has a sense of humor that rivals mine. When he calls me “darling” in a typical Aussie drawl it makes me smile.. He makes me see the silver lining in every grey cloud and I am fortunate to have him in my life.

Today, I can tell you I have come a long distance from the person who threw away gay newspaper without anyone seeing me to a mother who doesn’t care a bit if my children turned out to be gay. My children’s sexual orientation is irrelevant to  me. They are my children, be they are straight/gay/bi.  However, If my children are gay, I want them to be able to get married to their partner if they want to and no one should tell them they can’t.I support same sex marriage because no government/church should ever have the right to determine who can live with whom.

No child should ever be ostracised for their sexual orientation. No society to should ever judge someone for their sexual orientation.

I am proud of you Padma Iyer, you have finally made India to have an open debate about homosexuality.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3089804/Mother-seeks-groom-son-Indias-gay-marriage-advert.html

8 thoughts on “Orientation

  1. Gay marriage is not a religious issue, it is simply civil rights. Gays have the same rights as any body else to be married and raise a family.
    Padma Iyer would though prefer Iyer Grooms. That is funny! Seems like two people have contacted her.

  2. I agree,

    Even though it doesn’t feel right for me to be a homosexual, (I’m definitely straight), I do respect others who choose that route, and yes they deserve to be treated equally as much as others. It’s funny that India has an issue with petty things like this and other things like the obsession with fair skin and how they treat you badly if you have dark skin (stupid I know). Heck I just learned recently that you are not treated well if you remain single and are not married by a certain age (read that on another blog). Like they always say, treat others the way you want to be treated. So..live and let live.

    Hats off to Padma Iyer !! 😀

  3. Much debate has alrady been done on this issue in India. In 2009 the Delhi High Court allowed but in 2013 the Spreme Court disallowed it. The legal positions stands like that. There is nothing to worry about it. The law is for the survival of the society and if society is in need of homosexuality it will come one day. Biologically as the sex is between male and female others are considered abonoramal and hence this situation. As you are an ardent supporter for homo/gay you got a friend in Padma Iyer. Harish Iyer will be happy.

    • Bipin: Again, not sure what your point is? What has my post got to do with Harish Iyer being happy?
      It is really silly to say that there is nothing to worry about. Educated woman kill herself and you still think there is nothing to worry about. There is every reason to worry about. Biologically there is no law says that women and men must have sex with each other.

  4. I know 2-3 ppl in our community leading a double life by marrying a girl and never even touched that girl. Padma Iyer did a great job by doing so, hence one more innocent girl will not suffer her entire life.

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