MARGINALZATION AMONGST THE MARGINALIZED…….

Though I am not an active member of the group….I am a part of a wonderful group called *Gaybombay* (GB)…….

*Gaybombay* is something that a city like Bombay needs and the country needs as well essentially……it is a group of people….all gay……who come together……quite often….for discussions,,,,debates,,,,film-screenings,,,,parties and even picnics……

The organizers are great and spare no efforts to get the events going smoothly and organize new ones……

Since I am still closeted….I do not go to any of these events……but I am on the mailing-list and I do read the mails…..and each one of them……

So what prompted me to write this post was this mail from a guy….who asked if there were any Muslims or Christians in the group……

It may be a very benign question and asked just for general knowledge and probably for the heck of it…….and probably he did not mean anything in particular…….but what a stupid question to ask…….

And the first reaction that I had was that this guy is very prejudiced against anyone but the Hindus…….and that’s what most of the people on the mailing list must have thought and he did receive a lot of flak for it as well…..a well-deserved one!!!

Now anyone living in a multi-religious, secular country like India sees all kinds of people every-where…..from all religions and faiths and all castes and communities…..and GB is no different…..it is bound to have Muslims and Christians……and it is so obvious from the names of some of the active members from the mailing list…….

What was he thinking???…..Is he actually prejudiced???.....Does he think that Muslims and Christians are all straight ???…….

I think….posing such a question….or even thinking about it something akin to marginalization of people amongst a community that is already marginalized……by the society…….

Gay community in India is essentially not recognized by the society or any kind of political organization…..here under *Section 377*….Homosexuality is still a crime…we as Indian citizens are all criminals……there is nothing like *zero-discrimination* or *equal-opportunities* policy…and thus this becomes a minor under-privileged group……

As a part of this group….we must make a conscious…..if not an unconscious effort……to think liberally…..

And questions like these (asking if there are Muslims or Christians in the group) are wrong……(can’t say politically incorrect as in India *doing gay* is politically and legally incorrect..)…..

Unfortunately reading some of the post it does feel like we have some people in the group who not only are stupid but also think narrow…… But I think…..like we have different kind of people in a large, joint family…..and we embrace each one of them with all their inadequacies……so also should we in this big, happy, sometimes freaky GB family !!!

Anyway....

Happy Birthday GB