Accept, More Than You Reject

Before you read further, I highly recommend you to go through the article: Delhi doctors use electric shock to treat homosexuality.

What do you feel as you read this? It makes my stomach churn. As I move forward with each paragraph of what these doctors do and justify their action, I wish to close the explorer. But I read on. Because, it's not just about those doctors who are making profit out of other people's ignorance. Well, many businesses are set up around other people's ignorance and fear. Take insurance industry, for example. But it's also about these 'other people' - the parents, guardians, siblings, relatives, caregivers, etc - who put their children to go through such traumatic experiences. It's also about those men, women and everyone else on the spectrum who have to go through this. And hence I plead.

To those who electrocute,

Your profession is god-like, they say. Don't mix your prejudice with profession. With Great power, comes great responsibility. Remember spiderman's uncle Ben? Read. Read some more. And more. Until your prejudices are washed off. Or at least, you learn to separate them from your work. You know, people take your words as religion. But know that your profession is not belief-based, as religions would, but science-based. So read. And learn. Don't mislead. As you believe, may be it's a disease. But may be it's not. Ask yourself, you have enough evidence to prove it to be a disease and hence you want to treat or you are filling your pocket with people's ignorance? You know the answer. Acknowledge that there's a huge space of "I don't know what I don't know". And that's okay. You are god-like, may be. But you are not god. And that's okay too. You know that it's not so much about sex. It's about love and life and such things. And even if it's only about sex, what's wrong? Don't let your homophobia run through those electric shocks. Rather, face it and learn. Learn about the homosexuals and the bisexuals and the pansexuals and the asexuals and the heterosexuals. The transgenders and transvestites and the gender-fluids. No, they are not sick of sexual disorders. But you are. Of Ignorance. Pause. Reflect. And treat the right patient.

To those who get electrocuted,

I know it's not easy. But, what has been easy, anyways? Remember that first time you learnt to ride a cycle, or for that matter anything? Was it easy to fall a hundred times and still rise up to paddle some more? This is same, you see. Rise up. Paddle some more. But don't let anyone dictate who you should be. Don't marry that girl/boy because your mom is blackmailing you with suicide. You will kill at least two lives, your own and that girl/boy's. Rise up. Hug. Smile. And let them know that you won't fake it up. Reject, more than you submit. Earn your living and move out if need be. Then go back. Hug. Smile. And let them know that you still love them. A lot. But you love yourself too. And hence you reject. Not them but the myth of heteronormativity. The electric shocks and the burden of their social status. Reject, if you must, the marriage questions. Reject to fit in. You were born to shine out. Shine out, for yourself and that niece or nephew or cousin or sibling or... let's say your father or mother, may be? Some people come out very late. And that's okay. Accept that as you want to be accepted. Hug. Smile. Reject, more than you submit.

To those who get their children electrocuted,

Don't do this. No, it's not about your children, if you do. It's about your ignorance on the subject. And no, I am not blaming you for your ignorance. May be you never had the opportunity to learn about it. Now that you are a parent (or other relative) to a person from alternate sexuality, here's one. Open up and learn. Don't burden yourself by the idea that you know it all. You don't. And it's okay. Don't try to hide your love for social prestige behind the pretext of love for your child. 'Coz you child know what the real reason is. Stand up and face the social pressure. Your child will respect you a thousand times more than what all those relatives. And let's be real; your child's love means a hell lot more than those random relatives. It's not their business to know "when will your son/daughter get married". Actually, it's not yours either. Accept, more than you reject. Hug. Smile. And accept him/her some more. Those electric shocks will not make him/her heterosexual, I bet. But it will leave your child scarred for life. And many other lives around. Remember, how you coached him to face the Math lesson when he was nervous? Now's your time. Google up and read about sexual diversity. It will do no harm. You can still reject the idea. But you don't have to reject your child, you see. Accept him/her, a little more than you can. You were his/her childhood heroine/hero; be one, now. Hug. Smile. Accept, more than you reject.