When parents step up
STANDING UP FOR YOURSELF AND THE BELIEFS OF YOUR LOVED ONES IS TOUGH BUT BREAKING THE SILENCE IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT
Taruna Aswani won millions of hearts by standing up to her blackmailer who threatened to share her private pictures that he had obtained by hacking her cloud storage.
Instead of giving in, to protect her public image, she published the screenshots of the threatening email online. Tanisha said that it was with the support of her family and friends that she decided to stand up for herself and for many other women who have been victimised.
Parents are breaking their silence about of people from the LGBT community. taboo issues such as sexual Anitha, mother of assault, menstruation, homosexuality Chandramukhi, a transwoman, and others. Not long took part in the parade. “It is ago, the mother of gay rights very important for us, parents, activist Harish Iyer had published to talk about taboo issues and an advertisement in the support our children. People newspaper seeking a groom for still talk bad of us, but if I hadn’t her son. “I used to be a coward. supported her, she would I didn’t want my family’s name have ended up on a wrong to be tarnished,” says Padma path,” says Anitha. Iyer, adding, “But eventually, I Sociologist and professor at saw the timid, scared boy that the Tata Institute of Social once I knew, bloom as he took to Sciences, Avatthi Ramaiah says activism. I read up a lot and that the responsibility of abolishing came out of my own closet.” taboos lies not only with individuals but
Harish adds, institutions as well. “Opening up to “Religious groups my mother and keep taboos having her on intact. The media my side was and the government important. She must take saw that I was steps to spread getting negatively awareness and affected create a dialogue without her support, in order to expel so she started taboos. Only then to understand the parents will feel me.” comfortable opening
On another note, this up,” he says. Director Sridhar year’s gay pride parade in Rangayan, who is making Hyderabad was led by mothers Surmaee Shaam, a film about a
Opening up to my mother and having her on my side was important. She saw I was getting negatively affected without her support, so she started to understand me — HARISH IYER ACTIVIST The pressures of society are said to be one of the main reasons why parents are afraid of backing their children
mother who learns to accept her gay son, says, “We seek validation of our identity from our parents and siblings. Although they would want to be there for their children, they are influenced by society and so they are hesitant. For the film, we have a crowd funding campaign and 10 per cent of the funds would go into creating an official support group for parents of homosexual children so that they can counsel each other and understand their children better,” he informs.