Anajali Menon (name changed) of SYBMM at K. C. College is having a tough year. The professors are always on her case with submissions, her project partners bitch about her behind her back, she has to commute from the suburbs to college and she’s recently realized that she is a lesbian.
Welcome college circa-2008, the stakes are higher and everything is on the line. And if that wasn’t enough, up is down and down is up, and everything isn’t all gay and happy in life anymore, or is it? The fact of homosexuality isn’t something that is exactly resting on the tongues (no pun intended) of college students in Mumbai. The phenomenon is ‘weird’ and ‘disgusting’ for some and the talk of American sit-coms and slap-stick humor for others. But what about the innocents caught in the middle? The slowly emerging population of the gay youth in urban colleges can’t be ignored. The question is which side of the fence are you on?
Anjali doesn’t realize it yet but most of her class-mates aren’t exactly ready for her coming out party. She is after all, the typical modern girl…always prepped in her best, hair stylishly trimmed and permed (depending on the raging fashion of the week), sporting the best in the Fashion street haute couture. Anjali is far removed from the typical neo-Goth men-hating image of lesbians that is stereotypically embedded in the minds of her colleagues and yes, even friends.
Anjali realized that she was a lesbian this summer when she travelled abroad to meet her cousin in San Francisco. An avid photographer and artist she quickly absorbed the New Renaissance of San Fran’s ever bursting art scene at the local neighborhood art galleries and photo exhibitions. There she met Kylie. When Bogart said, ”This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…” he had no idea what it would mean for his biggest fan, half-way around the world in an alien town discovering herself and a whole new type of friendship. Come June, Anjali had to come back to her second year in college but she bought along with her a better realization of her own sexuality. Compounded with the fears and frustration of truly being ‘herself’ in this pseudo-accepting society of a college.
Anjali’s story is not unique. It doesn’t take 18 years and a trip abroad for most youngsters to realize that they are a bit…different from the people around them. Attractions and reactions are not confined to the physics or chemistry laboratories anymore but are thriving and boiling concoctions inside each and every one of these individuals.
The same story can be seen in the case of Gavin Thappar (name changed) of Xavier College. The manly stud of the Christian stable, he is better known as the quiet unassuming boy of SYBSc who doesn’t talk much but all the chicks can’t stop talking about him. Unfortunately for him, he only has eyes for guys. But growing up in the backwater of Mulund taught him at a very early age on when to keep his mouth shut (again, no pun intended) about things like this. The social stigma of a repressive society has kept Gavin from truly ever connecting with anyone for fear of giving away his biggest secret…and fear.
We like to think that it’s been 28 years into the progressive boom of globalised India. We wear brands, talk slang and can quote Seinfeld (even if it out of context) with amazing ease. But something is amiss. The social realizations that come with developing your own levels of acceptance and tolerance have very quickly been circumvented in our society. From a time in history when homosexuals were an accepted part of the cultural ethos we find ourselves in the ultra conservative grips of politically and religiously charged intolerance. And Anjali and Gavin are the innocent bystanders in this torrent of hate.
The stereotypes that we judge others by (or schemas as the POA textbook says in SYBA) have withered down to the most negative and destructive patterns. We have not only adapted the cultural affluence of Western society but also its social effluence. The entire American society (or at least those in the liberal North) was appalled and sickened when a high-school boy was tied and dragged by his class mates through the rocky country roads behind an SUV for being gay. He was then bound to a tree, as he begged for his life and stoned by grade school boys all the while being called derogatory terms (as if the rocks weren’t enough) like “Faggot!” and “Queer!”.
How far are we from that America that we have so adeptly learnt to imitate? Well if the current scenario is anything to go by, not so much. If representatives of a certain political party (Ref: Hitler’s SS) in one of the most modern cities like Mumbai can take it upon itself to ‘cleanse’ immoral behavior on Valentine’s Day (that too for straight couples) using violence and at times antiquated law, how safe do you think are Anjali and Shiamak? How safe are you?
Well, they will stay hidden in plain sight. Playing by the rules and at times suffering along with the consequences. Until perhaps one of them will take it upon him/her self to challenge the status quo and make society confront its real face. Or better yet why don’t YOU, I…all of us do everybody a favor and do it ourselves?
Welcome college circa-2008, the stakes are higher and everything is on the line. And if that wasn’t enough, up is down and down is up, and everything isn’t all gay and happy in life anymore, or is it? The fact of homosexuality isn’t something that is exactly resting on the tongues (no pun intended) of college students in Mumbai. The phenomenon is ‘weird’ and ‘disgusting’ for some and the talk of American sit-coms and slap-stick humor for others. But what about the innocents caught in the middle? The slowly emerging population of the gay youth in urban colleges can’t be ignored. The question is which side of the fence are you on?
Anjali doesn’t realize it yet but most of her class-mates aren’t exactly ready for her coming out party. She is after all, the typical modern girl…always prepped in her best, hair stylishly trimmed and permed (depending on the raging fashion of the week), sporting the best in the Fashion street haute couture. Anjali is far removed from the typical neo-Goth men-hating image of lesbians that is stereotypically embedded in the minds of her colleagues and yes, even friends.
Anjali realized that she was a lesbian this summer when she travelled abroad to meet her cousin in San Francisco. An avid photographer and artist she quickly absorbed the New Renaissance of San Fran’s ever bursting art scene at the local neighborhood art galleries and photo exhibitions. There she met Kylie. When Bogart said, ”This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…” he had no idea what it would mean for his biggest fan, half-way around the world in an alien town discovering herself and a whole new type of friendship. Come June, Anjali had to come back to her second year in college but she bought along with her a better realization of her own sexuality. Compounded with the fears and frustration of truly being ‘herself’ in this pseudo-accepting society of a college.
Anjali’s story is not unique. It doesn’t take 18 years and a trip abroad for most youngsters to realize that they are a bit…different from the people around them. Attractions and reactions are not confined to the physics or chemistry laboratories anymore but are thriving and boiling concoctions inside each and every one of these individuals.
The same story can be seen in the case of Gavin Thappar (name changed) of Xavier College. The manly stud of the Christian stable, he is better known as the quiet unassuming boy of SYBSc who doesn’t talk much but all the chicks can’t stop talking about him. Unfortunately for him, he only has eyes for guys. But growing up in the backwater of Mulund taught him at a very early age on when to keep his mouth shut (again, no pun intended) about things like this. The social stigma of a repressive society has kept Gavin from truly ever connecting with anyone for fear of giving away his biggest secret…and fear.
We like to think that it’s been 28 years into the progressive boom of globalised India. We wear brands, talk slang and can quote Seinfeld (even if it out of context) with amazing ease. But something is amiss. The social realizations that come with developing your own levels of acceptance and tolerance have very quickly been circumvented in our society. From a time in history when homosexuals were an accepted part of the cultural ethos we find ourselves in the ultra conservative grips of politically and religiously charged intolerance. And Anjali and Gavin are the innocent bystanders in this torrent of hate.
The stereotypes that we judge others by (or schemas as the POA textbook says in SYBA) have withered down to the most negative and destructive patterns. We have not only adapted the cultural affluence of Western society but also its social effluence. The entire American society (or at least those in the liberal North) was appalled and sickened when a high-school boy was tied and dragged by his class mates through the rocky country roads behind an SUV for being gay. He was then bound to a tree, as he begged for his life and stoned by grade school boys all the while being called derogatory terms (as if the rocks weren’t enough) like “Faggot!” and “Queer!”.
How far are we from that America that we have so adeptly learnt to imitate? Well if the current scenario is anything to go by, not so much. If representatives of a certain political party (Ref: Hitler’s SS) in one of the most modern cities like Mumbai can take it upon itself to ‘cleanse’ immoral behavior on Valentine’s Day (that too for straight couples) using violence and at times antiquated law, how safe do you think are Anjali and Shiamak? How safe are you?
Well, they will stay hidden in plain sight. Playing by the rules and at times suffering along with the consequences. Until perhaps one of them will take it upon him/her self to challenge the status quo and make society confront its real face. Or better yet why don’t YOU, I…all of us do everybody a favor and do it ourselves?
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