Meet Jay , a 19 year college student. Jay came out to their parents last year as queer. You must be wondering why did I use ” their ” for a single person, well the simple answer is- because they want to be called in that way. Because they recognise themselves in a way that might seem weird to you , but is completely normal and real.

How difficult is it to finally understand who you actually are , it takes a lot amount of courage to recognise oneself as someone ,who people don’t relate to. Sec 377 has been legally abrogated. And people have to understand that being themselves is neither wrong nor something to be embarrassed of.

LGBTQ community has been facing a lot of difficulties , from their families , and society as a whole. They are discriminated against, not given equal amount of opportunities, and have to face the brunt of the narrow mindedness of the society everyday. The number of hate crimes against the community are increasing day by day. Despite being a part of the society,they are made to feel as outsiders. Do you realise how difficult it is to understand oneself ,and even more difficult to explain it to others.

The worst part is when they have to look for validation, acceptance for who they are from their loved ones, and they don’t get that . It’s strange for someone to not look at you with the same feelings of love and respect anymore. Fighting for one’s rights has always been a tough battle. It also affects their mental health because the amount of stress and negativity they have to deal with.

Many people have not been able to come out of the closet, not able to accept themselves as who they are. It’s very suffocating for them to not be able to live their life as they want to. For some , it has been a beautiful journey with supportive family and friends, and for some , the journey is just not coming to an end.

 Platforms like Gaysi and Gaylaxy, and publishers like Queer Ink have helped carve out spaces for LGBT people to interact, share and collaborate. These platforms have helped people to share their experiences and help them to encourage others to accept who they are.

I just want to put it out their, that who you are, is something only you can know. Nobody has the right to decide that for you. And don’t ever give that right to anybody else. Loving yourself the way you are is the best thing you can do for you. It doesn’t matter if people don’t accept you , what matters the most if for you to accept yourself and be happy.