Coming Out For Reel

By Shatarupa Chaudhuri
April 11, 2009
SOURCE:  Express Buzz

BANGALORE: “I am here for the movies. And Alessandro, he just wants to sleep around,” Daniel hooted with laughter at his own joke, while Alessandro vehemently protested between his blushes. We joined in the leg-pulling and Alessandro, who’s from Italy, went redder.“I want to watch the movies, make friends. And it is a different experience for me in India. Italy has changed a lot in the last 10 years and gays are more accepted, unlike here. Almost everyone there has a friend or a cousin or an acquaintance who is gay and people are okay with it,” Alessandro defended himself. Daniel, who is on a visit from Canada, nodded in agreement.  It was a breezy, lazy afternoon at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore and a lively crowd had gathered there for the Bangalore Queer Film Fest organised by Good As You (GAY), a ‘safe place’ for LesBiGay people, with Nigah, a queer collective. Daniel had just come out of the theatre, all praise for the film Mala Noche that he had just watched.Sagar strolled towards us, “I watched Thick Lips, Thin Lips. I loved it because it conveyed the apprehension of the two men and then the final emanicipation through the kiss very subtly.” Sagar has recently moved to Bangalore and was happy to have come to the fest. “It gives me an opportunity to meet like-minded people, make friends.” “Yes,” said Daniel, “It’s great to see a space for us in daylight.” By this time Taragopal had joined us with a plate of omelette and the conversation veered towards the obvious.They all felt happy with each other at the fest, but what about acceptance outside? Sagar felt that society is now more accepting. But Mohit and Suhas, who came to the fest since “it helps to know what’s happening and to make friends”, think otherise. “We have not told our families. They will freak out.” “I also have not come out in the open,” said the girl-who-should-notbe- named.Vinay Chandran, executive director of the NGO Swabhava and a member of Good As You, “I have been with GAY for 11 years now, and we, who have been here for that long are really basking in the glory of the change. Especially with the internet and access to information, life has become a lot easier for the LGBT. The curve of acceptability has gone up.At least they have a space like this for them to come together. And the film fest, which serves multiple objectives, gives the visibility that is essential.” For a generation that has grown up on FRIENDS, Philadelphia, My Brother Nikhil and even Dostana, LGBT (lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender) may not be a forbidden territory, but efforts like this are needed to erase the ‘taboo’ around it.