Good morning, Bengaluru!
People fascinate me! It is truly amazing how the human race can be savvy, intelligent and generous on one hand and mean, petty and small on the other! I was returning from a trip from the outskirts of ‘namma ooru’ and as I neared the city limits, the election results were declared. The air was thick with a sense of jubilation mixed with trepidation. And at the cost of sounding like a parody of a famous screeching news anchor, ‘The Nation Knew!’ There were the ‘sore victorious’ and ‘sorer losers’! In my opinion, political affiliations, lofty judgements (especially about other fellow human beings) and one’s sexual preferences are purely one’s own business. Society does not hold the mantle to dictate what one should look like, how one should dress, what one should eat or who one should love. And thankfully, after many decades of alienation and discrimination, the highest court of our land agrees. The abhorrent Section 377 was de-criminalised and people trapped in the dark world of subjugation could finally breathe free.
That being said, the LGBTQIA+ community is still fighting for a rightful place in the sun. Arguably it will take a new generation to truly accept that we can live and let live in harmony, regardless of our differences or preferences. Yes! I do agree that sometimes facilitating change does take some straight and tough talking. But at the same time, I feel that compassion must be shown from both sides. We are all entitled to our rights… no one kind of ‘human’ trumps another!
I remember being at an event, where a prominent speaker from the LGBTQIA+ community was the chief guest and speaker. She was an impressive looking transgender, who spoke passionately and descriptively of how she was abused and humiliated. She was beaten, stripped of her dignity and made to act in an unspeakable manner by the very people who swore to ‘protect and serve’. It was a heart-rending, descriptive and a sad account of what she had to endure. She ended her talk by thumping the table angrily and shouting, “Society owes us, no one employs us and we have no options.” When I went up to deliver a vote of thanks, I shook her hand, congratulated her fierce and heroic stand, and quietly said, “Welcome to the world of women!” Women too, are subjected to unspeakable actions on a daily basis. But, two wrongs don’t make a right and never will. The emphasis should remain on being inclusive, non-judgmental and non-prejudicial.
I like people who put their money where their mouth is. Lalit Suri, the doyen of the Lalit Ashok group of hotels is one of them. He recently celebrated his son’s marriage to his partner with the grace and elegance that a lot of people should embody! He believes in equal opportunity and employs members from the LGBT community in his hotels. He has opened up ‘Kitty Ko’ night clubs in his hotels, where people can express themselves freely without fear or censure. The Lalit Ashok Bangalore held a beautiful event that gave both children and adults alike, an educative insight at the LGBTQIA+ community and focusing on discrimination and bias against them. My two favourite drag queens, Maya and Lady Bai, were at hand. Dressed to kill, they read stories to the children from specially-printed Elphie books, which addressed the issue of acceptance. It was a beautiful evening filled with bonhomie and stories.
After that, we had to rush off to a Tuscany food festival at Bene, the Italian restaurant at the Sheraton- Grand. There was an interesting mix of guests, with the flamboyant maverick chef Roberto Apa, taking centre stage. Different people, different food, and different viewpoints but here we all were… dining, drinking and talking together. Perfectly imperfect! Why can’t it always be so?‘Rubinate’ over it. Till next week. Ciao!