The ‘Queer’ Commune

IIPM MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

The capital gets a feel of its not so gay gay world...

Terms & conditions in love & sex are never accepted. ‘If gays & lesbians were to be tagged as criminals, just because their preferences do not fit into the perfect bracket, then even the varying methods of physical self gratification should be banned! My body, my vision, my likes, my love & my way is every individual’s right.” The Nigah Queer Fest held in Delhi between May 25 to June 3, helped gays & lesbians of different nationalities to come out & share their dilemmas & triumphs with an audience, which appreciated & understood their feelings of being ‘specially different’. Kuku, a queer, who was a part of the festival, feels delighted that an initiative of this sort was taken in India & considers it a great step to bring about ‘acceptability’ of queer existence in the world.

Lost & Found – a short black & white comedy focusing on two men, covertly flirting on a crowded bus – & other flicks like Milind Soman Made Me Gay, Coffee Date & Paper Dolls were shown at the festival. Normally deprived of movies that centre on their kind of relationships, these movies were a special treat for people from the gay community. Usually, movies project a sad miserable image of their lifestyle, however, here it was close to the real thing.

“I am a writer & have never faced any problem in my career because of me being gay. It was actually beneficial, but for my partner there have been ups & downs. He has lost 2 jobs. But now he will start something of his own. It’s sad, but...” Kuku trailed off . Kuku is like any one of us in many ways. He too desires a family as he feels parenting is important & hopes to adopt a baby girl in the near future. There are many others like Kuku who would want to do the same, but it’s only a handful of states in the entire world that permit adoption of a child by a couple of the same sex. India is home to millions of street children & orphans who live in absolute squalor & can, if the rules are relaxed, get a home, be parented & educated appropriately. But driven by the inhibitions of the society, the government holds fast to its prudish principles & thus consequently to its vote bank. By turning a blind eye to naked truths, we are killing the right of happiness for many gay people. When we proudly claim to be a democratic & liberal society in every other way, then why not in this aspect as well?

Nikhil (name changed), a queer & one of the organisers of The Nigah Queer Fest, looks at a positive possibility of making India as liberal as Holland. Nikhil says, “Indians are tolerant by nature & so I hope that the society will assimilate & accept the reality.” Nikhil feels that legality is a major issue but changing the mindset of the people is also important. “Unless you have legal change, you cannot proceed with the out-reach work. Issues like insurance, property etc. become questionable if being queer is not legalised. We are constantly harassed by the policemen – they pick up men from streets – & all this has to be changed,” rationalises Nikhil. Is it nature’s wish that we are refusing to acknowledge? Monica, who recited poems on gay love at the festival aptly remarked “I think we need to “de-criminalise”, not “legalise”. It is the process of engaging with the law in trying to get it to change – how the queer movement mobilises itself & articulates its demands for legal change – that really is more important than a change in the legal provision itself, though both are important.”

It’s about time we assimilate the insight on this issue & let this gift of God, even if be of a ‘different’ hue - bloom & blossom just as it should. Our political, rigid, jaded, rusty & confused minds need to let go off unreal ideals & not implement them by force or indulge in taming the gay & lesbians anymore. We live, we will live & till the time there is life on this planet, gays & lesbians should be allowed to live too.

Edit bureau: Megha Jaitly

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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