February 05, 2011

Minita

Minita, age 9
Bombay, India (1985)

I have no idea why my parents were surprised when I came out! I was always the tomboy. This picture is me around 9 years old, deeply tanned after a summer of swimming - and looking very much like a young boy.

I always knew I was gay, I just didn't have words to describe it. I just knew I liked girls. Though, growing up in India, you didn't say such things. Not aloud, anyway.

As a kid, I wanted to be Superman, never Supergirl.
I wanted to be just like Christopher Reeve.

My role model was Martina Navratilova. So imagine my surprise when I found out later that she's gay.

I was so scared someone would figure it out, and that my parents would throw me out. Or not being able to talk to my sisters, whom I adored. I waited till 24 to come out, and after the initial surprise, life settled back to normal.


My parents still love me, my sisters are still my best friends. Life is good.

Minita's first, famous-person same sex crush:
Jodie Foster
And I didn't even know she was gay. I found that out much later.
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Martina: The Lives and Times of Martina Navratilova The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection (Superman - The Movie/ Superman II/ Superman III/ Superman IV - The Quest for Peace) Foxes [VHS] Queering India: Same-Sex Love and Eroticism in Indian Culture and Society

1 comment:

Unknown said...

You're only one year older than I am... I could never imagine being scared that by just being honest with my family I might lose my sister and brother. I'm so glad everything turned out good between you and your family.