India Oddities

Today I launch a segment I've appropriately named India Oddities. There are so many moments that occur throughout my daily life here that leave me wide-eyed, shaking my head, smiling and appropriately saying “Only in India.”

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One of these Indian oddities involves public displays of affection. Affection is part of almost every society, albeit from touchy feely to intimate eye contact. In Spain, couples are seen smooching from the metro to the movie theater. In the States, couples hold hands and quick kisses don’t make anyone turn their head twice. However in India, the affection is not between couples - dating is still not main stream - it is between friends...and not the ones with benefits.

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Affection between friends doesn't seem that odd, after all friends of both sexes embrace each other upon occasion. The oddity is that this friendly affection on steroids happens only between friends of the same sex. Girls walk arm in arm gently playing with each others' hair while boys stand with their arms protectively wrapped around each other at the bus stop or swing hands strolling down the street. The caressing between friends is so rampant that it appears as if half of Chennai youth is homosexual. After many months, the same-sex hand holds don't grab my attention, but the tender touches (especially between males) would leave many of us second guessing the true story behind the relationship...

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My Indian oddity has nothing to do with the appearance of homosexuality. Rather, my oddity is the fact that Indian society is so socially shunning of homosexuals. So, overt displays of same sex affection provides the backdrop to a society basically intolerant of homosexuality. Now, that is just plain comical! In my opinion, legitimate gay Indians have the last laugh. Gay couples can comfortably grace the streets, walk hand in hand, exchange hugs and snuggle up in public as if they lived in San Francisco - all under the noses of communities and families who would spurn them if they ever emerged from their so-called closet. Friends, this is the first of many Indian oddities…