By Akanksha Mittal:
The movie “Suddenly, last winter” portrays the struggle of a gay couple in Italy during the time when Family Laws were being revised in Italy, in the year 2007. While I have personally never imagined homosexuality to be something abnormal or requiring medical care, most people shown in the documentary held quite contradictory views. For some, it is “a disease which needs medical attention”. For some, it is just unethical to question the order of God, who apparently created a Man and a Woman as a couple and not a Man and a Man or a Woman and a Woman. The movie talks about whether legal status be given to marriages between same sex couples. I fail to see, in the first place, why they should be illegal or for that matter, criminalized. But, maybe that is just my amateur mind cannot understand the whole uproar over “marriage being an institution whose legitimacy be maintained at all costs”.
While most of the reasons put forward in the movie against giving same sex marriages a legal status seemed really quite illogical, I do think that same sex marriages could have an impact on the psychology of the children raised by same sex couples. However, being the optimistic that I have learnt to become, if the children are explained carefully and in much detail their circumstances and how they are different from others and also how the children are really allowed to make a choice about their sexual orientation, we could actually be looking at creating a more mature society.
Most often, people are not even aware of their sexual orientation. And, I say this not by word of mouth, but with reference to many psychological theories. Those who know their sexual orientation find it difficult to accept it if it is “different” from the generally accepted norms. Those who accept it, find it difficult to be accepted by the society.
We talk in big words about Human Rights and how they are the basic undeniable rights of Humans. Not denying that Human Rights and their breech is another controversy in itself, I have a humble request to make. Can we please include the right to choose ones sexual orientation as one of the Human Rights? Yes, I sound like a kid asking for her candy. I might even start wailing if I don’t get it. But, the candy that I ask for can actually sweeten the lives of many! Perhaps everyone! We talk about a free society but we are not even free to choose who we love or want to share our life with! Now that simply points at screwed up principles!