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“I am gay,’’ a statement that is made loud and clear as Khire has now launched his book in Marathi “Indradhanu Samalingatatliche Rang” (Rainbow -different colours of homosexuality) and as president of the Sampathik Trust has a dedicated helpline that has been answering queries and various doubts related to homosexuality for the last four years.
For German teacher Zameer Kamble, “being gay” has never been such a big issue and now has devised a model that aims at helping others come to terms with their sexuality. This model has been devised in association with Pathfinder, an NGO, to create awareness about issues related to homosexuality in the interiors of Maharashtra.
Khire and Kamble were both narrating their experiences at the concluding day of the State-level media consultation on HIV/AIDS organised by the Centre for Advocacy and Research. For Khire, it does not matter that the trust has only 11 members. ``It is a good beginning and our helpline at 9890744677 - that is functional only on Monday evening received four to five calls where questions are asked about stigma that gays have to live with. We are also asked medical questions whether it is safe to have oral and anal sex,’’says Khire.
For Kamble who works as a German lecturer with University of Pune, his mother’s acceptance of his sexuality was the first step that led him to have faith in himself. ``My mother was very positive about my homosexuality and I soon developed a model that focuses on the acceptance of the self to deal with the world,’’ says Kamble who uses metaphors in this journey of self-introspection and self-realisation.
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