Wentworth Miller Tried to Commit Suicide

Wentworth Miller Tried to Commit
Suicide Before Coming Out: "The First
Time I Tried to Kill Myself I Was 15"
"The first time I tried to kill myself I was
15," he said.
"I waited until my family went away for
the weekend and I was alone in the house
and I swallowed a bottle of pills. I don't
remember what happened over the next
couple days, but I'm pretty sure come
Monday morning I was on a bus back to
school pretending everything was fine. And
when someone asked me if that was a cry
for help, I say no, because I told no one."
Miller continued, "Growing up I was a
target. Speaking the right way, standing
the right way, holding your wrist the right
way. Every day was a test and there was a
thousand ways to fail. A thousand ways to
portray yourself to not live up to someone
else's standards of what was accepted."

Sunil Babu Pant - The Gay Hero from Nepal

Sunil Babu Pant, a Belarus-educated
computer engineer, is Nepal's first openly gay lawmaker. On April 10, 2008, Pant won one of five seats secured by The Communist Party of Nepal (United) in the 601 seat assembly.

"We have chosen Sunil Babu Pant as our candidate to ensure the rights of gay and other minority groups," Ganesh Shah, general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (United), told AFP. "He will be the
first person to represent Nepal's gay
community."

Pant founded the Blue Diamond Society in 2001, the only gay rights group in Nepal. "Representing a sexual minority I will make sure the new constitution protects sexual groups, people with disabilities,
small indigenous castes and others," Pant told AFP.

Pant's election is a historic move in Nepal, a traditionally Hindu, caste-dominated and conservative culture.

In December 2007, Nepal's Supreme Court as ordered their government to extend equal protections under the law to their gay, lesbian, transgender and intersex
population

Nolan Lewis - Mr Gay India 2013

Nolan Lewis, a model from Mumbai went al the way International by representing India this year for Mr Gay World 2013 as Mr Gay India.
    Nolan Lewis also became the first Indian to reach the top 10 in this pageant this year. When asked, Mr Gay India Nolan Lewis said that participating in this inernational event wasnt an easy one.
   India where events like Miss World and other pageants are given so much priorities, Nolan Lewis was fighting to find companies to sponser him for this year. Nolan did contact various companies for support in participating for Mr Gay World, Mr Gay India 2013 Lewis didnt get anyone to sponser him. Even after gay sex being legalised in India in 2013, Nolan Lewis had to take part in this event at all his personal cost due to lack of sponsers.
    Below are some photos of Nolan Lewis which you may take a look at:

Zoltan Parag - Mr Gay India

Zoltan Parag may not be a popular name in closeted India but he surely has made the Indian lgbt community proud.
   Zoltan Parag, a male model from Mumbai represented India as Mr Gay India in New York for the internationally recognised Mr Gay World 2008.

   While this man, Zoltan Parag walked the streets of New York as Mr Gay India with proud, India far from appreciating it, does not even recognise Zoltan Parag for his participation in this international gay pageant.

New York boycotts Vodka - Protest Against Anti-Gay Laws in Russia

On Wednesday, gay right activists in New York City came up t and dumped vodka in the streets as a protest against Russia’s anti- gay law, with a large number of gay bar and club’s owners promising to boycott the use of Russian vodkas as a protest. The protest began last week in Seattle when the boycotting of Russian vodkas by gay bar owners began, which led to boycott in San Francisco where gay bar owners joined hands in this protest and reached out New York City, where gay activists openly poured vodkas in the streets.

 

      Advocates of gay rights in NYC, carried banners and signs that made statements about Russian vodkas being infused with hatred, and gathered together outside the Russian consulate in New York, on Wednesday, and poured it in the pavements and streets.

     This call for protest actually did come, when an investigator in Russia told in May, that a man of 23 years of gay was tortured and then killed when he told his friend about him being gay.

     Last June, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin also signed a law that banned gay propaganda, which would make participation in gay rallies illegal and would also make it illegal for anyone to speak for gay rights and support for homosexuals. A ban was also made by the Russian president on adopting Russian children by same-sex couples.

       This boycott focuses on Stolichnaya vodka, which has its ingredients of Russia origin, and has the vodka company too supported this protest for gay rights. The chief executive of Stolichnaya, Val Mendeleev, wrote in an open letter for the boycott, that the company has always been and will always support and be a friend to the LGBT community.

Russia is due to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Two Lesbians Get Arrested for getting Married in Dhaka, Bangladesh - World Where Crime is a Virtue and Love is a Sin

The news of two lesbian couples getting married and then getting arrested by the police has made the headlines all over. Yes, we live in a world, where loving is a crime, hence two women who did this crime of loving each other is behind the bars while ironic to this, criminals, loads of rapists, murderers are still out enjoying their lives and nothing has been done to punish them yet.

     This incident happened few days ago, on the 22nd of July 2013 where two lesbian girls were arrested for getting married, which was reported in Dhaka times and many other newspaper which created a storm in Bangladesh. Check the controversial report here http://www.mediatimes24.com/news/microapps/2719/23/detail.aspx#.UfAhcecmDE0.facebook
where people are demanding for severe punishment and even death for those lesbian couple for their ' so called crime' committed.
      One girl was a Muslim and the other was a Hindu which created more issue. The father of the Hindu girl had reported to the police a complaint that his daughter was kidnapped and was taken out for trafficking. He also did tell the police that the girl was underage, which actually both the girls deny of being. underage.
    

As per reports, various facts has emerged about the incident of the lesbian marriage in Bangladesh:

The girls had left their village of Firozpur in their own consent on the 14th of July and fled to the capital city of Dhaka. They have started living together in a house there in a neighbourhood in Dhaka.
The father of one of the girl had reported a complaint to the police on the 20th of July on the basis of abduction and trafficking.
The lesbian couple actually did undertake a ritual of marriage by exchanging garlands, which is a symbol of marriage in both Hinduism and Islam.
Police found the girls in Dhaka and arrested them on the 22nd of July. A picture of them exchanging garlands had actually been released.
Media did make a controversial topic out of this issue. As expected, the immature bigot public, political and religious leaders did shower homophobic comments and gay bashing.
One girl even made a statement in the media asking on what basis and ground did the police arrest them. No answer has yet been received to this question yet. 

Concerning this topic, do note these facts:

In Bangladesh, there is no law that causes prevention of two person whether it be same sex or not, to stay and live together, even though the Bangladesh police arrested them.
There is no law in Bangladesh that recognizes such marriage, hence there is no point of this marriage and a basis for an arrest is not existent. Still, the police arrested those crimes for doing something which isn't a crime.
In the Bangladesh Penal Code, the anti-sodomy section 377 says that it does not imply to women, hence the demands made under the law isn't applicable. So, why did the police made the choice of arresting the women?
It is common in Bangladesh that women are exposed to custodial violence and a risk is there that those women too maybe subjected to sexual and physical assaults when they are under detention.
Media has been given access to the girls, but access to the girls have not been given to human right activists, social activists, women's right activists and legal representatives to the girls yet.
Last year, Bangladesh made a solemn commitment to the UNHRC at the time of its UPR, saying that the LGBT community has be given protection from any kind of arbitrary abuse by any kind of state agents or any legal forces. With this arrest, the Bangladesh government violent this commitment.  


You may also read my other articles:


Indian Cinema and Homosexuality – Change in the Portrayal of Gay Characters





Being Gay in an Indian Society - Voices of Those Thousands Hidden Men





Brokeback Mountain - a Gay Theme Movie Straight People Too Would Appreciate

Indian Cinema and Homosexuality – Change in the Portrayal of Gay Characters

Homosexuality has always been a subject of taboo in India, until the Supreme Court passed the bill on legalizing homosexuality in 2009. Indian public along with a large percentage of viewers from the neighboring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan is largely influenced by the Indian cinema, and a rapid evolution has been seen in the portrayal of homosexuality in Bollywood as well.

      Gay characters were always projected in Hindi movies as an effeminate male used just for the sake for humor in the movies, which was actually very wrong to portray it as a subject of caricature. Well, one of the very well known depiction of a gay role in a movie in India, was by the openly gay movie director, Onir, in his movie, ‘My Brother Nikhil’ in 2005 which dealt with a gay man fighting with AIDS. Also came the very controversial movie, ‘Fire’ played by Shabhana Azmi, which showed lesbian relationship, which actually brought about lot of controversies all over India, with homophobic Indian crowd causing protests against the movie, but the movie still ran in theaters and successfully caught the Indian mass.

      One of the very mainstream hit Bollywood movie which actually took the gay notion in a serious way was Karan Johar’s 2009 hit, ‘Dostana’ which had homosexual depiction in the movie. Well, Dostana did not actually deal with homosexual relationship as the story had two men pretending to be homosexuals. But the movie did talk about homosexuality and the movie was actually a super hit all over India.

      This movie ‘ Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun’ was one movie that really did have a story which completely had a gay love story with Bollywood stars like Jeenat Aman, Helen and actors like Rituparno Sengupta and Aryan Vaid in it, but the movie could not be hit and got tangled in controversies as well. The movie was also criticized for its poor language and acting quality, plus it did not run completely all over India and had a very limited viewership. The director Onir actually have worked on various Hindi films dealing with homosexuality, like his movie, ‘I AM’ dealt with a very important issue of gay harassment by police and child abuse as a homosexual which was largely appreciated though this movie too wasn't like a typical Bollywood hit movie and did not reach out the mass.

      Karan Johar, who is known as one of those top directors of the Indian cinema has been casting gay characters in his movies since quite sometimes, which started from Kal Ho Na Ho, where a little joke was carried out with the depiction of the characters of Shahrukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan. Dostana too was his movie which was actually a movie that made the Indian viewers quite acquainted with what actually gays and homosexuals are. Even his movies like Student of the Year, had a gay character played by Rishi Kapoor. His most recent compiled Short film, Bombay Talkies too had a gay story, which also did have an on screen gay kiss, which is actually very new to the Indian cinema.

     Well, if a comparison is made between the Indian cinema and the International cinema, India is far behind when depiction of homosexuality is concerned. India yet hasn't had a very mainstream Bollywood movie that actually deals with gays and homosexuality. India is also yet to have a mainstream Bollywood actor/ actress to play a gay or lesbian role like what Hollywood actors have. For instance famous Hollywood actors who are straight have comfortably portrayed a gay characters like Heath Ledger, Bradley Cooper, Robert Pattinson, Jake Gyllenhaal, just to name few. While we are yet to see those famous actors of the Indian cinema to play a gay role. 

    However, the evolution of the Indian film industry has occurred and a vast change has been seen where the portrayal of homosexuality is concerned. Bollywood is still growing up and yes, one can expect to see a mainstream actor, director working together to make a gay themed movie and running in theaters all over India soon.

Being Gay in an Indian Society - Voices of Those Thousands Hidden Men

Being gay in India is not a fantasy but a struggle to face throughout our lives. With hundreds of thousands of gay men in India, most of them lie really hidden to live a straight life.

      I myself confess that I am gay and regard myself to be a fortunate homosexual. Being gay was nothing I chose and it is not something that I can deny being also. It was something that I was born with and realised it as I grew up.
      Being a homosexual in India is a tough thing to face. While only a few gays in India open up and live freely as homosexual, a large population remains hidden from the society. It is a true fact that India has legalised homosexual relationships but what about social acceptance?

       I am a boy from the Himalayan hills of Sikkim and have lived a life like a normal boy would live. I never thought and do not even think that I am lesser than a straight boy, as I believe I have talent, and an ability to learn. If there is any difference, then it would be only  the sexual preference. I know that most people today too do not understand and accept gay relationships, and I also know that getting a social acceptance in an Indian society is almost impossible but I can see that youngsters today are being open minded. I actually do not know the purpose why I am writing these lines, but it is something that comes up from my mind.
         It is a fact that I am gay and I get attracted to males rather than females, in our society, I can never open up my feelings and live a normal life. I have often heard people saying, to change gay men into straight men. I think that is funny. Being gay was not something I chose or any other gay men chose, it is just something that you were born with. Therefore, one can't just turn from gay to straight or straight to gay, like there was a switch to turn on and off everytime to switch between the two.

      I have seen this misconception amongst people today for what they visualise when they use the term 'gay Men'. Gay men do not mean men who acts like women, wear makeups and so on and so forth. Being gay simply implies to sexual preference. I do not think I have a girlish or a feminine character or any such stupid ideas still I am gay. I believe I have done every possible thing that a straight guy can do, still I am no less and I am gay. But even being a normal boy, but gay, I must always put up a mask in my face, everytime, everywhere I go, just to hide myself and act being straight. Yes, I have had girlfriends and had so many girls who have fallen for me, but what is the use? I ended up breaking their hearts and again moving to the next girl, when I wanted a boy whom I could actually fall in love with and spend my entire life with. Just to show up to the world I dated girls and couldn't show up that I was dating a boy. Each and every moment of my life was spent in hiding myself, my real identity, though I have not committed any crime still I can't be myself.

      I often see great people delivering speeches when they say, 'If you want to be the best, be yourself, don't mimic anyone,' but does that imply to me and thousands of other guys like me? No. This is probably something I have to live up with throughout my entire life, hiding from myself, struggling, and trying to be NOT ME and pretending to be someone else, just to be safe, even when I have committed no crime. Is being gay a crime? Is my life a curse that I was born gay? Are millions of gay men around the world have a cursed life? I never regreted being gay though I had to struggle in every twist and turns in life, but what are people upto?

     I want to hear the readers opinion too that do they laugh at this issue or accept it?

Brokeback Mountain - a Gay Theme Movie Straight People Too Would Appreciate

Having been someone who loves watching movies, spending hours and hours doing so,  movie watching was my favorite past time. It was sometimes horror, sometimes comedy, and romantic also. I just loved watching movies of various types and themes, and one day I just got a chance to watch a very popular gay themed romantic movie which I always longed to watch.
      Myself being gay, always wanted to watch this movie, BrokeBack Mountain, which has been appreciated around the world and honored by various awards including the Academy Awards. It was very difficult for me to get this movie from a DVD store, as it wasn't available everywhere, and even if it was, it would be a very awkward situation to get it, especially, here in India, where we live in such a veiled society. Therefore, I just got an idea of watching BrokeBack Mountain, and the option was downloading this gay themed movie online. Though it took a long time, it was finally done.

      I was really very interested to watch this movie and excited too. As I watched this movie, I found  that it was  something that was very unique, different and close to my life. BrokeBack Mountain is a romantic gay movie based on a short story. It is a story based upon two gay men, who happens to meet in a fictionalBrokeBack Mountain in Wyoming in the West Coast of America. BrokeBack Mountain is based between the times 1953 to 1973. The two gay men, Ennis which is played by Heath Ledger and Jack which is played by Jake Gyllenhaal, so happens to meet in the Brokeback mountian where they meet while working as a caretaker of sheep.

      In this movie, Brokeback Mountain, these two men, some how gets physically involved during their times in the Brokeback Mountain, and then gets emotionally attached. As a fact of being gay, this movie portrays the difficulties these characters have to accept this relationship to themselves too and the environment they are subjected to, which do not allow them to live freely with each other. This results in quarrels and fights between the two and after their tenure of the job, both Ennis and Jake move along with their own lives, leaving the job, though both feel a lot of pain and grief while departing.

      As a part of life and society, though being gay, both of them get married to a girl, and Ennis has two kids too. After four years, Ennis and Jake meet, and they get so excited that both of them kiss each other hard as soon as they meet. Ennis's wife unluckily sees this happening. Ennis and Jake then starts meeting each other time to time. Here, Jake convinces Ennis to leave everything and they both live together with each other, but with the boundaries of the society, Ennis refuses. This way, both of them get to meet each other, time to time, though infrequently. Ennis gets a divorce from his wife. This way, 20 years passes by and Ennis and Jake are still deeply in love with each other still cannot come out nor stay with each other together. Both of them are deeply pressurized by the rules of society, life and family. A day comes when both of them are emotionally weak and talk about the last 20 years they've lived with each other and the difficulties they had to face and then quarrel also.

      After that day, they do not meet together for sometime. Ennis happens to call Jake one day and the call is received by Jake's wife, played by Anna Hathaway. He recieves a news that shatters him. Jake was dead. He had died in an accident and was cremated. Jake had the last wish of having his ashes scattered in theBrokeback Mountain, though his wife had no idea where Brokeback Mountain was and was finding out where it was.
      Ennis travels to meet Jake's mother and father. While taking a look at Jake's childhood bedroom, he finds his old shirt, which he had thought he had lost at the Brokeback Mountain, in Jake's room  which Jake used to wear. He smells the shirt and gets the smell of Jake.

    The movie ends with the scene, of Ennis being all alone and then gets a visit by his daughter. She's invites her father to her wedding and they happily celebrate the news and she then returns back. Then, Ennis opens his closet, in the door of which he hung, Jake's shirt and a postcard of Brokeback Mountain, and remembers Jake, his love and misses him.

      I was moved into tears by the end of this movie. What I really liked about this movie was the depiction of homosexual relationship in a positive manner. It was well portrayed and was had nothing that depicted sex or prostitution as such. This movie has been globally appreciated by all people and after watching this movie, I really felt so.
Well, whether you're gay or straight, give it a try to watch this movie. You will really appreciate it.