Nikhil / India
“‘BUT YOU’RE NOT LIKE ‘THAT’ (FEMININE)’, ‘KEEP IT TO YOURSELVES, DON’T LET ANYONE ELSE KNOW ABOUT THIS, PLEASE DON’T BRING DISGRACE TO OUR FAMILY’, RETORTED MY SKEPTICAL PARENTS WHEN I FINALLY TOLD THEM THAT I WAS INTO BOYS. BEING RAISED IN A CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX HOUSEHOLD AND LIVING IN A CONSERVATIVE SOCIETY, WHERE BEING GAY IS CONSIDERED DEVIANT AND PERVERTED, EVERY SINGLE DAY FELT LIKE LIVING BEHIND INVISIBLE BARS OF SHAME, HATRED AND HOSTILITY. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN SELF-DOUBT AND HATRED DEVOURED THE PEACE OF MY INNER MIND AND DAYS WHEN I HOPED TO WAKE UP “NORMAL”, UNTIL I FOUND ACCEPTANCE GROWING WITHIN MYSELF. A SIGH OF RELIEF WERE MY FRIENDS WHO SHOWERED IMMENSE AMOUNTS OF LOVE & SUPPORT UPON ME, WHEN I CAME OUT TO THEM. I ALWAYS ENVIED PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THOSE PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE BEING THEMSELVES WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL, UNTIL I LEFT MY OWN LAND IN SEARCH OF ACCEPTANCE. I’M STILL ON THE ROAD TO ACCEPTANCE BUT I FEEL I’VE ALREADY MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, AND THE WHOLE CREDIT GOES TO ALL THOSE WONDERFUL BEINGS AROUND ME WHO MAKE ME FEEL PERFECTLY NORMAL AND ACCEPT ME FOR WHAT I AM. NOW WITH EVERY PASSING MOMENT, I FEEL THE COLD DEMON OF INHIBITION MELTING AWAY AS MY HEART WELCOMES THE SPRING OF ACCEPTANCE.”
