Mommy, you taught me to respect

While I should be writing down the cover story for the next issue of Gaylaxy, I suddenly have this urge of writing down a letter to my mother, about how she always taught me to respect others.. May be this post could become my coming out to my family sometime later, or show me the way of breaking the news to them in the future.

At this point, I just want to tell you Mom, I don't know whether you remember or not, but since my childhood, you have taught me not to make fun of others because of either their disability or their difference. You always said, "If you make fun of them, something similar shall happen to you too. God is watching, he will get back to you." So when as a kid (i was in class 3 i guess) there was this other child who walked a bit differently. You asked his mother if he was doing this as some child prank or did he have some bone deformity and when she replied that he had a bone deformity, you asked me never to make fun of him. Probably all mothers do so. But I know for sure, you always did. From childhood, you taught e to respect people, and I always do.

I remember having asked you once as to how does a person become a hijda (I was in class 9 i guess and our Science teacher had scolded a girl when she laughed at something related to this topic being said by her. She explained how it is all due to the genes and one should not laugh at it)and u said, "When they (Hijdas) find out that there has been such a birth, they come and take away the child." And when I asked, "And the mother lets them take away the child?" you said, "Yes" but i could see the pain in ur eyes unable to explain why someone would do so. I have never seen you making fun of the Hijda community either, like other people do.

Why am I trying to tell you all this, or writing down all this? Because I just want you to know, that you have always taught me to respect others and be compassionate, and I thank you for that. It is for you that I am what I am today, a good and compassionate human being if I may say so. And when I come out to you, I hope you will continue to respect me or the community and show the same understanding. Deep down, I feel you will... but then there is always a fear associated with it.