GloMag GloMagMarch2020 | Page 202

I was at a stage in my life when the awareness about different sexual orientations was yet to evolve fully, though I knew being gay was not an aberration nor illness but as natural as being straight. Making such relationships illegal or criminal was the result of our religious indoctrination and social orthodoxy and had nothing to do with ethics, science and psychology. Seetha showed me Shakuntala Devi's latest book "The World of Homosexuals", which she had recently bought, and said, "It is the first Indian instance of a serious look at our kind of sexual orientation, which is unfortunately criminalised and punishable in our country. More than the silly legal position, what makes it difficult for us is the shame and social stigma that people associate with it. Shakuntala Devi makes a plea for a more rational understanding of homosexuality and complete acceptance, not tolerance and sympathy." Kanaka gave me another perspective, "It's not just a question of my sexual attraction towards another woman. As feminists we find our patriarchal society stifling, and marriages within it are just an extension of the sexism and male chauvinism found in patriarchy. We don't want to be the traditional wife and daughter-in-law with conventional gender roles. You were talking about the social message Bimal Roy wanted to spread through Sujata. I would say the 202