The stereo types....

One of the things that I hate most is the prejudices and clichés prevalent even in the most modern and civilized societies. The stereotypes are a result of such deep rooted perceptions that may or may not be true, especially in a fast changing and innovative world.

Often, the minorities are the easy targets that provoke these strong, richly coloured stereo types. No, I am not talking about the eternal minorities(religious, caste and communally classified) in my country, but about the sexual minorities like myself. Over the years, gays, lesbians, trans-genders and other such groups have acquired a perception which can at best be described as disturbing. The homosexuals are widely perceived as people who have the body language of the opposite sex, who like to flaunt their sexual appetite and who harass the normal person(read as the hetero sexual), for money and sex. 

It is true that there are criminals and crooks among the homosexuals, just like those among the heterosexuals. There are as many anti-social elements among the community as there are in any other. The sexual minorities have a lot of challenges and problems to face as such. These include the HIV threat, the identity crisis, social stigma and so on...

The society would do well to do a reality check and be supportive. Especially in a democratic society that preaches equality and tolerance, this is the least one can expect...