I saw B online after a long long time two days back, and I realized that I have not been blogging. It's funny, I am going back to being the nerd I was while in my undergrads!
Anyways, I was chatting with this kid from India (I abhor the way it sounds!)...well...no that's no big deal...I do chat with lots of people from India...but this was different, no...not the kid...but the chat!
This was just after the American general elections were over, and he was all upset about the proposition 8 being passed by California. I found that funny...some kid in India was UPSET about some gay marriage law being banned in the US. He became even more upset when he realized that I was not really aware of the whole scene, and the fact that I did not care too much about it either. He even asked me if my role model was 'Brian'. I did not understand who 'Brian' was...and he was even more 'disappointed' in me because of that. His reaction was almost as though I was not qualified to be gay as I was not 'homosocially' aware enough...or aware of the popular gay culture, or the icons for that. Of course he did not say it out...and I am certain I am making him sound much more rude than he really was.
But I just happened to notice a general pattern here...one that of conformation.
Things are difficult for gay men in India. And somehow, the movies, serials and literature make gay life in the western countries easy. I recall a 'friend' of B and me whose dream was to find a teaching job in some 'obscure' town in Canada, find a 'nice' Canadian men to 'marry and settle down'...and 'live happily ever after'.
This kid, last we chatted, wanted to move out of India, to some european country, or to the US or Canada, find some guy and settle down.
And of course they believe in strict monogamy...marriage and everything holy.
I am just confused.
It is difficult for gay men in India. However, I am yet to know about somebody being killed in that country because he was gay. Gay men in India are ridiculed at, made fun of; but they are not tortured and killed for that.
Just two rather recent incidents in the US:
1. a 14 year old gay kid gives a valentines day card to his classmate; the classmate gets a baseball bat and pounds the kid to death.
2. 3 'straight' men 'lure' a 21 year old gay man, take him to the woods, rape him, torture him, tie him up with barb-wire and leave him to die. He dies after 3 days...tied with barb wire in the woods.
Oh! I did find out who 'Brian' is.
5 years ago
1 comment:
Yes, you are making that "kid from India" sound much more rude than he really was. And I don't know if you remember that you gave the "kid from India" the link to this blog. I guess you probably do remember, but certainly do not care.
So big deal if he was upset about the passage of Prop. 8 in the US. It seems that Mr. A is unaware (by choice?) that California as a tendency to influence all of America. And All of America has a tendency to influence Urban culture in India. You may not have witnessed it, but all through my childhood in Delhi, I witnessed it. The youth of today is so Americanised, it's not a joke. So it's a kind of trickle down (rather, trickle across the oceans). Anyway, I doubt you'd understand.
And yes, you're exactly like Brian. Minus the looks and the bos, of course. But no, Brian does care a little.
Okay, you're almost like Brian.
As for making India sound less homophobic than America, what can I say but...
Haha.
Ha.
Haha.
Ever heard of Lesbian suicides? Ever heard of witch-hunts, that happen every other day? Are you aware of all the secret going-ons in our 6,38,387 villages?
Simply because you're not aware of it doesn't mean it does not happen.
IndiP
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