Nitish Banka

    • Being Gay

    I remember a nursery rhyme, “Work while you work, Play while you work, this is the way to be happy and gay.” I guess I was 5 years of age or maybe 6 when I used to recite this rhyme. For me, when I was happy, I was gay. When my heart was filled with joy, I was gay, of course. Now when I am nineteen, even the thought of being gay scares me.

    With the ascending progress in age stems change, physical and intellectual. The bodily development is inevitable but, the understanding part is now a problem for me. This has infringed my right to be ‘GAY’. I want to be GAY, but this may be embarrassing. Society may not accept me. The reason lies in being GAY; GAY is somebody who is homosexual or, someone to whom the same sex attracts.

    The principle of magnets states that opposites attract. The customary system of making love demands opposite sexes too. Nature demands a sexuality which is straight. Hence, the idea of being GAY fails everywhere. Finally, the idea of calling yourself GAY is offensive. Moreover, calling somebody GAY is implied as abusing someone. A part of the society though demands safeguards for the rights of that part of society and, fortunately has succeeded at few places and many more milestones are to be achieved. But, GAY is an abusive and offensive term, this cannot be ignored. The evidence is truth, since, what the society accepts and what the majority consents to is truth.

    The query which now haunts my mind is the peculiarity of English language. Why does this language have such a homonym? Isn’t this a violation of rights of the word “GAY” which resides in English vocabulary? When one wishes to say I am Gay, meaning I am happy; isn’t the social factor haunting the vocal cords of that individual every time? The problem is more social and emotional, than literal.

    Gays are never meant to be Gay.  You are dog would be more acceptable to me, than you are a gay. Surprisingly, this (GAY) term neither turns one an alien or a monster. Nor does this indoctrinate all the good qualities in a human being. A human being is always a human being who has the right to live with dignity; the virtue of being human grants one with this right. Being human we have the right to live with dignity and let others live with dignity. With women rights, the case limits to discrimination but with gay rights, it extends to humiliation. And humiliating a section on the basis of their inclination in my understanding is wrong. Because being GAY is not just being GAY; it’s a revolution. Revolutions have always been welcomed, happily or, reluctantly. One can be anything, GAY or, GAY.