It was a historic moment for the homosexual crowd yesterday, but at the watering holes, the celebrations were surprisingly muted
It was a historic moment for the homosexual crowd yesterday, but at the watering holes, the celebrations were surprisingly muted
When I entered Nasa, the pub rumoured to be a popular gay hangout, at 10.30 pm, there were still some 25 boys left in the pub, sipping their beer and enjoying themselves.
It took me a few seconds to realise that they were celebrating a historic victory. I spotted a couple of my gay friends bonding with their partners, the smiles on their faces saying it all.
I had stepped in and out of a couple of other places, but it had been just another regular day.
Blame it on the working day: the celebrations at Nasa were sober, with everyone dressed casually, and just sitting around contentedly and chatting about the Delhi high court verdict that legalised gay sex. I saw no painted faces, no clapping and cheering, no festoons, no singing.
The crowd had waited for a very long time for this moment, but it turns out the verdict couldn't help them when it came to declaring their orientation.
A couple of gays I spoke to said they preferred not to come out because their parents were still not aware of their sexual orientation and they just didn't want to hurt them.
The law may now be on their side, but for most, the emotional problems continue. A couple of boys had no hesitation in admitting they were gay but didn't want their pictures in the papers.
What I saw was a bunch, mostly in their twenties, happy about not being outlaws any more, but at the same time anxious about the consequences of declaring their identity.
I had expected a lot more noise, and definitely some dirty dancing and public displays of affection, but what I saw was some kind of a sober class reunion. Being gay isn't all about sex, you know.
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