Queer couples in India have never received much acceptance within society. They are often victims of ridicule, harassment and even violence. They often cannot find places to live, and are kicked out of apartments by landlords or neighbours.
This has been the experience of screenwriter Apurva Asrani. Which is why, when he shared the milestone of buying a house with his partner, he did not expect the overwhelming positivity and love that it received.
“I simply wanted to celebrate a moment like a straight couple. They celebrate birthdays, weddings, their relationships, etc, which is not the case for the LGBTQ+ couples. Moreover, an image of names of two men on a name plate is rare. I didn’t know the tweet would go viral. Sid and I are family and have the blessings of our families. I felt that the world should know that LGBTQ+ are not about boys and girls just having fun but we are about family, too,” says Asrani.
Having come out four to five years ago, Asrani and his partner still pretended to be cousins while renting houses. He says, “We have been thrown out of apartments when people realised that we were two guys living together. We didn’t want to worry about such things so we bought a place. I also wanted to inspire others from the LGBTQ+ community to go ahead and realise their dreams.”
