Being different from normal is curse

They are different but society won't let them be so, opine groups of homosexuals and transgenders who continue to battle issues relating to forced marriages, discrimination at workplace, societal stigma and ostracietion even two years after Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising homosexuality.

"Forced marriages is still an issue", says Sumathi from Lesbit, a support group for lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders, and a participant in today's series of events organised by sexual minority community to mark the judgement, hailed as a milestone by many in India.

While several were still battling societal odds to come out of the closet, many who have done so continue to face parental disapproval.

"Many a time they are handed over the punishment of marriage", hoping for a behavioural correction.

A defiant Sumathi, who questions the fundamental of being discriminately seeks to illustrate her point. "Some like mangoes, some apples, but just because I do not like mangoes, why am I being made to stand out", she asks.

Vinay Chandran, Executive Director of Swabhava, a city-based NGO working with lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender. says the helpline Sahay run by them is often ringing with at least five to 10 calls a week from individuals experiencing some confusion or opposition over their sexual preferences says, that the common complaint was that parents were pushing these men to marry, sometimes knowing fully well that their preferences were different.

The calls vary in terms of age group right from young boys discovering the orientation to late teens and even those in their 20's and thirties when marriage pressure is more.