Courage in the face of prejudice

A version of this story appeared in Real Page 3, the weekly section in the Sunday Express.

Last week, as the Gay Pride March came to a brief halt near K G Marg, a middle-aged woman stood alone at a distance carrying the placard – Proud to be a Mother. She had come here in support of her daughter. Did she feel apprehensive? “Not at all,” she said. “Awareness creates an understanding that being gay is not unnatural.”

At one of the most vibrant gatherings in recent memory, what was she going through? “I feel very proud that she is part of the community. It is poignant to see the support we are getting today,” she said, just days before the landmark judgement de-criminalised homosexuality.

While denying that she had to overcome any mental barriers when faced with her daughter’s homosexuality, she accepted it may be harder for other parents to take. “In the absence of a liberal environment, parents find it difficult as they fear social ostracization.”

How did she transcend the prejudices of the society? “If you have the conviction, then you fight for your rights.”

However, the fear of a social backlash remains. When I asked her name to take it down for The Indian Express, she tried to evade the query. “I don’t want any names. I’m talking to you as a proud mother, as a human being.”

And as the rally resumed its course to Jantar Mantar, she dissolved into the crowd – a lonely warrior for equality among people of her generation. It may come as some form of redemption for her today to know that her daughter is not committing a crime by being herself.