'I am a lesbian,' cries Durga. She fled her in-laws' house after her parents
panicked on learning of her sexual preferences and forcibly married her off to
a man. Gayathri suffered virtual house arrest after her parents discovered her
same-sex relationship and thought she suffered from a mental disorder.
Helpline launched: Sangama, an organisation fighting for rights of the sexual
minorities, launched LesBit Helpline (080-23439124), on Saturday, to lend a
helping hand to lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders in the city.
'Breaking the silence...' At the special meet, women with alternate sexual
preferences questioned the ill-treatment meted out to them. "We have no friends
or family. No jobs are offered to us if we refuse to be stereotypic females,
and finding a house to live with a same-sex partner is a struggle," they asked.
Theatre personalities Rameshwari Varma and Arundhati Nag expressed concern over
growing fundamentalism in society. "I believe you all have a right to be what
you are. We should have an open society where differences become acceptable,"
said Varma.
