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bookisgood_2020 's review for:
Straight to Normal
by Sharif D. Rangnekar
'Straight to Normal' is the fearless autobiography of Sharif D Rangnekar where he shared his experiences as a gay man in the Pre-377 decriminalized India.
The author talks about how it was challenging as a child to fit into new schools and classes as he went through critical health issues when his family moved into Kolkata. After an unfortunate tragedy, he moved to Delhi and started anew.
Slowly he realized the distinct sexual preference that separated him from fellow straight men he knew. With time, he accepted his own sexuality and came out to his close ones. Having a positive support system, he started to date men. He talked about how many of his queer friends killed themselves under the stress of society, how many were murdered by their own families, how many were forcefully married to women, and how many were left alone in life with their loneliness and depression.
Speaking about the various romantic relationship the author pointed out how homophobic India and its laws prevented him to have a true partner in life. Many of his gay pals left India to live openly with pride, but he didn't. The book ends with a ray of hope when on his fiftieth birthday the author gets the news of the Historic SC Verdict which decriminalized homosexuality in India.
While finishing the book I got teary-eyed and only one sentence of Justice Indu Malhotra echoed in my ears: 'History Owes an Apology to LGBT Community'.
It indeed does because nobody can give them back the dignity and life they deserved.
The author talks about how it was challenging as a child to fit into new schools and classes as he went through critical health issues when his family moved into Kolkata. After an unfortunate tragedy, he moved to Delhi and started anew.
Slowly he realized the distinct sexual preference that separated him from fellow straight men he knew. With time, he accepted his own sexuality and came out to his close ones. Having a positive support system, he started to date men. He talked about how many of his queer friends killed themselves under the stress of society, how many were murdered by their own families, how many were forcefully married to women, and how many were left alone in life with their loneliness and depression.
Speaking about the various romantic relationship the author pointed out how homophobic India and its laws prevented him to have a true partner in life. Many of his gay pals left India to live openly with pride, but he didn't. The book ends with a ray of hope when on his fiftieth birthday the author gets the news of the Historic SC Verdict which decriminalized homosexuality in India.
While finishing the book I got teary-eyed and only one sentence of Justice Indu Malhotra echoed in my ears: 'History Owes an Apology to LGBT Community'.
It indeed does because nobody can give them back the dignity and life they deserved.