A journal of your memoirs
Straight Against Discrimination
Letter from The Director Greetings everybody! PRISMA is an endeavour to lend a voice in support of the LGBTQIA+ Community and to highlight the challenges and tribulations they encounter on a daily basis. AMSA India hosted an LGBTQIA Summit with the theme "Straight Against Discrimination" to raise awareness and educate young medical professionals about the importance of being LGBTQIA+ friendly. We wish to bring attention to the community members' exhausting, aggravating, and yet common struggles at the doctor's office.Our aim is to create a safe space for all medical students who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community by answering their questions about coming out, engaging families, friends and colleagues and by sharing stories of love, courage and hope! Gul Kalra Director of Public Health AMSA India 2021-22
The entire team at PHRD had the vision to create a memoir where we hope everybody from the rainbow community can share experiences, speak up or just showcase their creative side. Finally, I'd like to express my gratitude to all of our readers for their support of our effort! We hope you appreciate each of the stories included in this memoir. Live long and prosper!
Letter from The Regional Chairperson Dear People of Tomorrow! With utmost sincerity and humbleness, I am writing this letter to express my gratitude and appreciation to everyone who has been continuously working to support the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community with Pride, during as well as beyond the realms of the Pride Month celebrated in June each year. AMSA India is glad to have partnered with friends from Lives4Literacy and RC Caduceus to bring forth the LGBTQIA+ Summitt, a multi-day celebration of the pride month and a culmination of podcasts, webinars, workshops and much more, aiming to sensitise young medical professionals and create a safe space for medical students who are a part of the rainbow community! Khushman Kaur Bhullar Regional Chairperson AMSA India 2021-22
Prisma is a one-of-it’s kind, curated journal of memoirs on the theme - Straight Against Discrimination, cataloguing a wide range of creative illustrations to poems, personal accounts and many more. I would like to congratulate the whole team of the Public Health & Research Department of AMSA India for their gracious and persistent efforts to document it beautifully as well as to all the contributors for their hardwork and support. We thank you for your continued support and interest in the initiatives of AMSA India. Empowering Minds, Enhancing Performance!
“With great care and dedication, we bring to you, PRISMA : A journal of your memoirs. To read through your stories, witness your creativity and be a part of your journey, was an honour like no other. We thank you for having faith in us, and for sharing your unheard stories, your tales of triumph and your melodies of melancholy. We found love in each one of them and got inspired by all of you.” Love, PH&RD
Love is love You love someone with your full heart You may or may not be like this from the start But your story is more complicated than others Not because of the love, but due to your sisters and brothers They say that it’s sin, they say that you are different and wrong What they don’t realize is it’s pure & right and you’re just as normal and strong Gay, bisexual, lesbian, or any queer Please know that I am here for your cheer Social blindness is unjust and unfair Why should anyone else tell you, whom to love and whom to bugbear? ‘The feeling matters, not the gender Love is love, it’s pious and tender’ I understand this and so do you One day this will be realized by the Whole World too Celebrate yourself, now that the tears will soon be dried Love yourself and always take pride in your PRIDE .
Anonymous A 1st year medical student, in a process of making herself better by working hard and following her passion. She likes writing poems because it's relieving and fun to put out your thoughts in a creative manner.
FEMINISM
Nupur Pande
"I ask not for any crown but that which all may win." - Louisa May Alcott I think these wise words completely define the topic I decided to be vocal about today. Feminism is all about equality be it social, economical, cultural or political. I often come across people misjudging one's support for feminist movements as just a way to prove that females as a gender want to be recognised as superior but, I always fail to comprehend this notion and it's origin. I have had many colleagues wrangle with me saying 'how can you support Feminism? Do you imply that women and men are same? Do you say that women deserve more than men?' to which I have a rather lucid answer, we as medicos know more than anyone that no two individuals are same but, does that diversity entitle us to different rights and responsibilities? I suppose not. So, yes I don't imply men and women are same but they can definitely be equal. Striving for ensuring superiority over someone is very simpleton and trivial having evanescent outcomes according to me and feminism is neither evanescent nor is it trivial.
Still in this rapidly growing world full of technical advancements we see women first trying to prove that they can try and accomplish any work of their liking as good as their male counterparts even before they're assigned to do that work, there's a constant pressure not of accomplishing the goals to its desired standards but of first proving that they can do it, Can we pause for a minute and think why can't we just give equal opportunities without gender prejudices? Why is a section of our society underpaid or unrecognised just because of our prejudices? We say science is the backbone for foundation of a new incredible 21st century and we are still held prey at the clutches of these prejudices and various baseless taboos surrounding our society, we still argue about the attire women choose for themselves or the way they present themselves, we question so many of their choices just thinking about them as a gender completely disregarding their personal entity comparing them with the ideal standards we have set as a society. I think for supporting a feminist movement one need not be a women, anyone who supports equality can stand towards bringing a change for equality. I strongly believe 'Charity begins at home.' if we at our personal level start making small reforms first in our thinking and then in the way we behave, I believe we can truly bring prosperity and harmony to our beautiful lives.
She’s this wayward person who believes that there is nothing that can hinder a person with cause and every hindrance has a beautiful way out that awaits to be discovered by the innovative human brain.
The Story of Love
by Suhani Chadha
Photography by Suhani Chadha Suhani Chadha is a third year Medical student who has always been keen in photography. For her photography is a means to express what she feels. She feels, the LGBTQ community, the people are always cornered and made to feel bad about themselves as if they didn’t have to fight with themselves their entire life till they came out of the closet and even after that. Everyone has the right to love whoever they want, the sex shouldn’t be a hurdle in this beautiful feeling of love.
WILL YOU COME FORWARD FOR THE CAUSE?
BHAVYA KHATTRI
Living in a world, full of repercussions, Going through the life, so hard, To become normal, as the conventional successions, Trying to be, what we were not, we gave in our heart, Became pieces of laughing stocks, Unintended, hitting hard the reality rocks, Nowhere were we lead. Nowhere could we go, Inside we were dead, when were called, 'homo'. We were alienated, in our own homeland, Walking with shame, and unable to stand, Imbecile, lunatics, as we were judged, With sexual disorientation on our souls smudged. They call it the pride month, the month of June
Yet a rising sun, is what we hope for soon. Endless is what all the nights seem, Yet a rising sun, is what all we dream. It is in closet that we spend our life, Being slowly eaten up, with the never ending strife, The parents do not understand, And honestly, we have lost the hope to make them really do. We still hope for a better tomorrow, Which shall end, all of this sorrow, Wishing this phase to be brief, Soon taking away all our profound grief. The winter, the summer, and the fall, The seasons change, but not really our wall. Always alone inside the busy hall, Sometimes I wonder, if we aren't normal at all? We await in our lives for the real magic, Because being in this country is, yes, tragic, I ask you, Will you be our magician at your loss? I ask you, Will you come forward for the cause?
They call it the pride month, the month of June, Yet a rising sun, is what we hope for soon. Endless is what all the nights seem, Yet a rising sun, is what all we dream. It is in closet that we spend our life, Being slowly eaten up, with the never ending strife, The parents do not understand, And honestly, we have lost the hope to make them really do. We still hope for a better tomorrow, Which shall end, all of this sorrow, Wishing this phase to be brief, Soon taking away all our profound grief. The winter, the summer, and the fall, The seasons change, but not really our wall. Always alone inside the busy hall, Sometimes I wonder, if we aren't normal at all? We await in our lives for the real magic, Because being in this country is, yes, tragic, I ask you, Will you be our magician at your loss? I ask you, Will you come forward for the cause?
The winter, the summer, and the fall, The seasons change, but not really our wall. Always alone inside the busy hall, Sometimes I wonder, if we aren't normal at all? We await in our lives for the real magic, Because being in this country is, yes, tragic, I ask you, Will you be our magician at your loss? I ask you, Will you come forward for the cause? -Bhavya Khattri The Sleeping Panda
”Nature has its rules
-By Shruti Karne
and you follow them”, my mom said. Amongst a bunch of girls, gushing over a boys Struggling with figuring out my identity, Cause I didn’t feel the same way, But bisexuality is pretty. “Society has its boundaries”, my dad taught. You were either straight or not. I love that I am a bit of both, It‘s not a phase, I gotta own my space. It’s not because I can’t decide between the two, I simply choose not to. Your orientation can be more than ”either this or that”. Take your time and see what you arrive at. Sexuality is fluid. Everybody that feels discriminated or are in doubt, sorry your safe space is ruined. In the closet or out, Pride is for all of us.
“Hi.. I'm 20 and bi. Came out to my close friends and family this year so this pride month is so special and important to me. Just the sense of freedom that I can't explain,owning the space I'm in.I hope this pride is good to you too. Sending love.” - s
With a Belief that Art & Imagination can help find Beautifully unique solutions to even the most impossible problems the world might Challenged with, Dr. Avi likes to spend time in the serenity of nature with a pen in one hand & a brush in the other, whenever there's just enough time to hang the stethoscope for a while.
Dr. Avi Singh GMC, Amritsar
Her soul was bathed in a million hues; & She chose to dress in Black- the world was too blind to see any more of her shades: "A beautiful mess in an ugly situation in a
chaotic world within an infinite universe of doubtful existence"
Battering in my closet He is a 3rd year medical student .He moved to Hyderabad recently .these years he experienced a new world open to LGBTQIA+ .this poem is dedicated to all those who struggles being in closet
With all my little secrets, I play the keys of piano. The old classic refrains serenaded Aman Ashish
Again and again over my head. Snow sliding down from the Transom of the window, and I Comfy fingers between zir crouch. Trace zir neck and smooth The milestone of my moment. My fingers chase the lily, dear love. Deep heaped prior as an ecstasy. There is a piece of peace in you. Too fragile and beautiful indeed.
L-R Siddhi Gupta, Akshay Agarwal, Shrusty Mohapatra
My Pride: The day I found my true rhythm, The day I danced my fears out, The day I was applauded for being myself was the day I waved the rainbow flag
Growing up, Ashwini felt like she never fit in, so she would stay buried in books and try to wander off to a fictional world. Now, she tries to fictionalize her world with her words. She believes everyone deserves a chance to be heard and is always up for a good conversation!
If our love is the garden of Eden, You are the forbidden fruit, And I, Eve. My heart knows not what is right, It is like the serpent, that lures and tempts. If our love is Metamorphoses by Ovid, You are Ianthe, And I, Iphis. My heart knows not what is right, It is like Telethusa, at the feet of Isis. If our love is a Greek island, You are an ode to Aphrodite, And I, Sappho. My heart knows not what is right, And so it weeps at night, in silence, For my love does not beget love, It spawns fear and sorrow. I smile, for I feel love, I cry, for it is a sin.
The hidden struggle for acceptance inside the community is often overlooked.
The path find to i n g sexu you r al o rien is a tati long on jour ney.
Labels are just a starting gate and not a box that I need to fit into. - Ananya Bhasin
The Awaited Day Trail your mind off the rail Coz he was born with “THE TAIL” Yes! Yes, that's what I want you to think That he's madly lost in love with pink Notion of him, applying nail paint Alas abandoned, and rests on restraint Bangles, eyeliner, and lipstick Never was he permitted to pick Relishing the concealing of pimply flaw Is liking lifeless luggage against law? Relentless, remorseless recitation to refrain
Bhavya Jain is a second professional medical student pursuing my MBBS degree from Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh. She likes to draw, paint and write in her free time.
From things that make him go insane But oh! He never lost that hesitant hope Cause he fancied, there's still some sort of scope Alas! That hope, to find the courageous will Of his, and many more like him, aren't yet fulfilled Eager that soon may arrive, that much awaited day Empowering him to express himself, unjudged, in his own way This is just all, that I want to say.
- Anonymous
Him/they A Lazy writer, aesthetic lover, intersectional feminist, Borahae. Ever in the pursuit of ensuring medical equality to all while constantly trying to be a better doctor and believes in Queer liberation.
Hold me, as you push me away . Let your breath kiss mine but keep your lips away. Pull my hair behind while our fingers lust for our skin. Don't claim my soul as it's already sold to Micheal's twin; For I yearned for your presence by me. I signed my heart Away. I can never be yours but inside your eyes. I'm forever locked away.
Pride. Love. Equality.
a d n a P a t Swe
i v a g a l e B JNMC The illustrator loves art, and everything that comes with it.
On the Shoulder of Team Discrimination, the unjust behaviour with people based on the illogical reasons to make the society look down upon them and to snatch away all their opportunities which would have made them shine. It feels like putting a person in a box with transparent boundaries which comes into existence only when the external box-creator feels insecure of himself. Well, with the world in the fastest pace possible, the emphasis on these verdicts seems to stand with no basis. With Google trying to give voice to Tulips and control the wind and rain patterns and control it for better survival of human, why can’t we all get out of our insecurities and stop putting people down baselessly. We have the potential to be on the moon or under the water or above the clouds. An adventurous task daily and a happy and loving personal life is all we need. Things like discriminating someone must be our last priority when we have our eyes on moons and mars. There have been various protests in the pasts demanding equal human rights, with special emphasis on women rights, where the fight was for the basis of needs like education, voting (women’s suffrage moment), getting out of child marriage, (ok, men included too) and some of them really sounds shocking, like the Sati Prath. We would always be deeply in gratitude our strongest willed fighters who fought, directly or indirectly to make the life possible which we are leading these days.
A part of the worse suppression of women has been depicted in A Thousand Splendid Suns, a novel by Khaled Hosseini who shed light on the women’s plight under Taliban rules. I feel fortunate that conditions, at least what I witnessed around me, are far better. It is really uplifting to see the differences that has been made and hopefully would continue to do so. Conditions nowadays are really gender- friendly and we have women happy and successful in all the fields, take it being CEOs of a huge, huge company or in sports and in one word, EVERYWHERE. Cheers to the fact! Yet, the fight isn’t ended yet. There are still some issues to be addressed. Equal pay for women, schemes for maternal and paternal (yep, both must be included) leaves and captivating benefits to make work-life balance easier for women and healthy working environment and the list goes on. How do you think things would work if the responsibility for equality is taken by individual’s shoulders and exercised at the ground level? What if everyone becomes sensitized and sensible about these issues and is courageous enough to cause a spark of difference at the deepest yet unnoticed level of potential change.
Wanting to begin with the mission? Scouting a mentor? There have been so many books written acknowledging women and leading and the possibilities of strong happenings. The leaders are standing strong, is the team ready to act? (As it’s said, Its not just the leader, it’s the whole team who accomplish a victory.) I conclude by saying the firm bases have been already been laid and its now the responsibility of individuals to voice their opinions instead of surrendering in into the unacceptable. Things are easier said than done! That’s the challenge we face now. WOULD WE BE ABLE TO CHANGE THINGS IF WE TRY TO? - Antra
team is the On the shoulder of its all the article which adm in the past unjust happenings ating people events of discrimin d the article on various basis an wards the is more inclined to support this people who do not ion as now, it to voice their opin depends on them.
I Choose Him Alka Elizabeth Cherian (she/her) A student from GMC, Thiruvananthapuram, she is on a path of self discovery and finding her calling. She loves writing about love in all forms, advocates for mental health and kindness to all humans . She aspires to live in a society with no racism ,homophobia or patriarchy. Her hobbies are reading,dancing ,acting and poetry.
Sea green eyes on a perfectly sculpted face /
my eyes would wander to those features during class / I wondered / was this jealousy I feel / I’ve been jealous of other people who seemed
perfect / But you / your perfection transports
me to a different world / brings forth a strong desire / to hold you in these fragile arms / but
I won’t let you fall / I will hold onto you for dear life / your eyes twinkling as you talk about something you love / Will we ever be together ?
I know what you inscribed on my back/ when you thought me asleep/ “you’re mine”
Barriers too many / all the desi aunties staring / two grown men . Holding hands / a “cultured” bhaiya swearing as he walks by/ I feel tears welling up /he holds my hands tighter/ love
overcomes all/ he smiles ,dimples showing/ all
I want I have/ let the world judge /I will not budge/ for love is eternally beautiful, worth standing up for/and I choose him.
Love is Love
K. Sree Umadevi
Alluri SitaRama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru A 2nd year MBBS student and a passionate calligraphy & lettering artist. Loves medicine, art and aesthetic spaces.
STOP discrimination from being a cause of death The moment we realise that our biggest fear is standing right in front of us is the moment we choose to fight against it or to give up. It’s hard to even imagine that our friends from LGBTQ community have to face this fear every day. The fear some people , a society created within them. The fear of disrespect, the fear of loosing friends and loved ones, the fear of being left alone and the largest fear of being discriminated at every stage of their life. A support and respect are the things they crave for ,instead these being their human rights. The rights they need to fight for. Suicide is the leading cause of death among gay and lesbian youths. Over 30% of all reported teen suicides each year are committed by gay and lesbian youths. Gays and lesbians are at much higher risk than heterosexual population for alcohol and drug abuse. The force that drives them into this black hole is the fear that’s been created by the people . The people who are supposed to be educated enough, to support, to respect a human.
28% of the gay and lesbian youths drop out of the high school verbal and physical abuse . About 40% of youths that are homeless are classified as LGBTQ youths. The list of these facts is long but can be put to a stop by our support, by our respect-‘to a human from a human’. By showing them our love and that we are here to support them, by increasing their confidence , by making them realise the fact that they are beautiful, by educating our young friends and members of the LGBTQ community so that they are not afraid
Aditi Gupta
She is a keen researcher and writer from JNMC, Wardha
Emergence of a rainbow by Manali Sarkar
She is a student from MGM Medical college, Navi mumbai and a volunteer at various
student led organizations where she had the
opportunity to talk to various people (patient & healthcare professionals included) who
would discuss such sensitive issues and the response among them would widely differ.
Hence to highlight these varied responses and encourage a healthy debate among people of
various nations, age, gender and race she has submitted this poem to AMSA.
All her life she lived in a closet, Hiding away her truest feelings, But she found a life like this unappealing, Where her affections were deemed inappropriate. A life like this, Felt to her like an abyss, Try as she might, She felt that something was not right. Until the day she found her solace, She found the strength to speak her truth, But they called her godless, Called her belief “an ignorance of her youth” Still she soldiered ahead, Everyone saw her spread her wings, Most laughed but a few believed, And for her those few meant she had succeeded Now she lived with her head held high, She had emerged proud as a rainbow, None could force her to live as an oppressed, Her love was now only hers to know. - Manali Sarkar
Emergence of a rainbow
The Missing A why Asexuals are at backfoot in LGBTQ protests
Bakhshish Jot Singh
L. G. B.
T. Q. I. and… A. Asexuals. Aromantics. Agamous. Aces. The least known of the group. Maybe the least represented. Heck, there are not even many Asexual characters. The most common people know is Todd Chavez, from BoJack Horseman. Even he didn’t figure out till very late. Some people even think that Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory is asexual. But damn you Amy Farrah-Fowler! You can easily count the number of asexual characters in Media. (check out the wikipedia page on this by the way)
But if we take a closer look, its not a surprising thing. Asexuals form only the 1% of total population. But that’s still 700 million people around. People not interested in sex. But how can Asexuality can be portrayed when the goals of most characters are based on fulfilling their sexual desires. Take a rom-com. People do crazy things for the pleasure of sex. Or even in Action thrillers. Half the heroes of our films are motivated by the death/kidnapping of their wives/girlfriends; the good old Damsel in Distress. Horror movies seem to have a frequent sex/romantic scene. It’s not as if asexual people can’t form strong relationships If most of our media is so obsessed with Sex itself, how will it include those who are not interested in it? Should we refocus on our thinking, our representations and our stories and make space for the platonic relationships too? All the task now falls on the new generation of filmmakers who are willing to put up such content without any discrimination. Asexual people be easily integrated into the media, only if we put some good work in it.
Bakhshish (4th year MBBS, PGIMS) is an amateur writer, but a voracious reader. Being a patient of Chronic Introvertism, he has developed the skills of astute observation and wishes to share it to the world. His interests range from Medicine to Technology, Research to Blogging and Fiction to Politics.
She is an MBBS student with the heart of a feminist. She identifies as a gender-queer, asexual person. She spent her entire teenage wondering that she was abnormal or broken until she learnt about LGBTQ+ spectrum 2 years back, that made her realise that she was normal, and she decided to do something for the cause and help others especially, the children and teenagers who might be spending their years like she did.
Let love be your guide !
Because so ul never re ally had a form, my friend, It’s high ti me for thos e petty pre judices to e n d , Queer or st raight-why is the diffe rence so important t o mark? Is that rea lly enough to define so meone’s spark? When distin guishing th e unjust fr om what’s righteously r ight, When trying to seek wha t exactly is worth the fight, Just forget their norms while you d Just for a w ecide, hile, just L ET THE L OVE BE YOUR GUID E..!
-Anonymous
Artwork by nt udgeme j t u o ace d with ful pl A worl i t u a e e a b will b e in. to liv erves ne des o y r e v E , to omfort c g n i ive breath hers l t o t e nd l live a ce. in pea
Khyati Sharma
Gay Days
Authentic LGBTQ Portrayal - Better Choice than just Virtue Signalling
Bakhshish Jot Singh
If you have been a fan of Hollywood, you would know that it has not been an ally for the queers. Queer community has been misrepresented and limited to certain tropes; like the Gay Best Friend or the Bisexual Murderous Villain. These tropes come at the convenience of Straight movie producers with a limited view of the dating lives of the homosexuals that they (mis?)represent. However, there are still some shows which do not want to confine themselves to the criteria. There are producers, directors and actors who can turn a sympathetic eye to LGBTQ people. One such TV show that I would put on Pedestal is Schitt’s Creek. (Don’t worry, there are No Spoilers!!!) .This was not intended to be a show with a “lecture” about the society and its flaws ( I am not a big fan of such shows anyways); but always intended to be a comedy. However, what sticks out the most, and eventually becomes the main focus of the future seasons is the dating (and eventually marriage) of David Rose.
What makes David an authentic portrayal? Because he is acted out by Dan Levy, a Queer IRL. His mannerisms are a scene stealer; which is rare since we have never seen a Queer man been at the centre stage. But how is it different from the others? Well, three things. The first one being the unapologetic queer mannerisms that David incorporates. Be it the ‘girly’ and ‘trendy’ dressing sense, his effeminate mannerisms, or his interests which defy the traditional Masculine roles; David (and Dan) has completely integrated it into his aura, his character and is not ashamed of it. He is at a level of complete acceptance of his personality. The idea extends further. The other gay characters show the complete contrast from David; he can be a woodcutter alpha man or maybe a normal daily worker like you and I. Both ends of the spectrum have been well handled. The second thing, (and the eventual goal of the pride month movement), is the complete acceptance that all people have. Be it his partners, his friends, his parents etc. all acknowledge his likings and hasn’t been an issue. Sure, there are some moments of awkward talk about his orientation, but was handled pretty well considering the comedy genre of the show (by the way, look out for the Wine analogy in the show). I believe the queer and people will surely find it comforting to watch. And the third thing; the real display of Love. Note, it’s love, not the “Gay Love”. He faces the same thrill, the same joys and the same frustrations in a relationship that even we straight people do. Not a spoiler, but his eventual attainment of love is a satisfying watch.
Why is it significant? Because most people are hard to change. People will change only once they are convinced that the change is working, which raises the need for media with an inclusive and queer friendly ethos. If our society has to be more queerinclusive, we need more understanding people. Maybe I am exaggerating, but shouldn’t the world that has been shown should be the role model for LGBTQ activism? Shakuntala Devi, whom you might have seen in Amazon Prime’s movie, advocated "full and complete acceptance (for queers) —not tolerance and sympathy". If this is not the role model, then what is? Can queer people learn to be as unapologetic and as confident in themselves as David Rose? Can they look up to him as a role model? Or anyone else? As far as I know most shows are not as real in their portrayal. Even their best attempts to be inclusive come across to be “Virtue Signalling” at best. Maybe we can hope to see more. Maybe we shall. Happy Pride Month.
THE FACE OF THE STORY
BY BHAVYA KHATTRI
The Half Of It Movie Recommendation
Nirosha Mathew She is a third year medical student at CMC Ludhiana who aims at making this world a better place and leaving it at least a tad bit better than how she found it.
This 2020 coming of age teen drama starring a Chinese American queer female high school student named Ellie Chu breaks major Hollywood norms and is able to stand apart in this beautiful LGBT liberation era. The premise is a cliche script where our smart Ellie helps adorable yet dumb fooballer Munsky to write love letters to the pretty, quiet choir girl Aster who likes reading big books, and Aster presumes Munsky to be the one writing the letters and starts falling for him. The twist is that our Ellie also likes Aster. In the beginning of the movie Ellie mentions about the Greek mythology regarding soulmates. She states when soulmates meet, there is an unspoken understanding. This is clearly visible between Ellie and Aster. An unseen thread and connection. The absolute desire to find it’s other half forgoes all sexual stereotypes. The two halves are part of the same soul with no attached social expectation of what these souls look like. Movie is filled with references from movies like ‘Casablanca’ and heart wrenching philosophies.
My favorite philosophy is ’ Painting strokes.’ Painting here is the metaphor to practically everything in life. Our current job or relationship or even our mental health could represent a good enough painting but what if we are assured of a greater perhaps? This comes with a dire warning, with the last stroke we could either birth magic or fall into pits of ruin. We could lose everything we have right now, the ‘good enough’ painting that we worked so hard to manifest would be no more. But I agree with Ellie - “Maybe that’s the thing. Even if you do ruin your painting you got to know you have everything in you to get to that pretty good painting again. But if you never do the bold stroke, you will never know if you could have had a great painting.” So take that leap of faith. Kiss that person. (with consent) “…...this is not a love story.”- Ellie warns us beforehand and guess what it’s not. Nobody gets what they want and you know what “That’s okay.” Life never has beautiful conclusions or happy endings. It is like an open ended statement just like this movie. These three kids are on a journey where they might find love, heartbreak and everything in between. But one thing they and we ought to find is ourselves because “everything beautiful is eventually ruined.” This is not a queer movie. It is a movie about teens navigating love and life. There are no wars raged or great . Subtlety is portrayed at its best. I hope it stays with you for a lifetime and might even encourage you to make the bold stroke. Ps Munsky and Ellie’s dad also give us glimpses of different forms of love.
s u s e e r f d r o w e n “O t h g i e w e h t l l a of : e f i l f o n i a p and — ” . e v o l s i d r o That w Sophocles
Out of bounds ”Why is straight the default?” - Love, Simon (2018)
A big part of growing up queer is spent wondering why does the term exist. The constant struggle between what defines as straight vs what defines as queer and how to fit under one is something no non-heterosexual person is unfamiliar with. For some, this debate is just a mere passing thought but for some, it grapples their identity and sense of self, including my own. Labels- it might seem like a harmless word to many but in my mind, it is an endless labyrinth with an entrance that I don't remember. Sometimes, the battle extends beyond the term 'straight'. For me, finding my identity inside the LGBTQIA+ community has driven me insane at times, to say the least. When I first started to question my identity, I considered it as an opportunity for selfdiscovery and growth, but the more I walked among people so colorful and so sure of their identity, the more I became obsessed with finding that one light at the end of the tunnel. The one identity that I can accept myself with. Am I bisexual? Am I a lesbian? Am I pansexual? Am I queer enough?
The suffering of a marginalized community among a heteronormative outlook of the society is a topic that everyone is well aware of, but the hidden struggle for acceptance inside the community is often overlooked. Are bisexuals and pansexuals just confused or attention-seeking? How can you even define demisexuality or asexuality? For a community that prides (pun intended) itself over being a safe space for anyone to have any identity and be accepted, the existence of rigid labels is no less. There's no doubt that labels are comfortable and a safe haven for many to latch onto. They can also be welcoming, rewarding and a source of security but the pressure to stay within the parameters of that label can harm one's journey. My search for a label often makes me less in touch with myself and more occupied trying to please the community. I wish that in the past few years, I could realize that I didn't have to settle for an identity, and that the path to finding your sexual orientation is a long journey. We grow up learning that it is important to know if the glass is half empty or half full but never to just take a moment and cherish everything life has to offer. The gray area is always mentioned but never appreciated.
I have consciously/ unconsciously been aware of my attraction towards the same sex for almost all of my life yet, a constant need to feel heterosexual attraction to fit into the society's definition of 'normal' and to be accepted by my loved ones makes me question to this day if I can ever settle down with an opposite gender in the future. Maybe I'm just a sapphic, maybe I'm more, it's a question that I haven't found the answer for yet but growing up has taught me that labels are just a starting gate and not a box that I need to fit into. Maybe one day, a label in my life will be a checkpoint that I can finally cross. But till then, I want to take the time to enjoy myself and accept others as they come. At the end, love is still love, no matter whatever form it takes.
Ananya Bhasin is a 19-year old medical student from MGM Medical College, Navi Mumbai who is fond of exploration and loves taking up new hobbies. She also enjoys non-profit work and aims to a be a better version of herself everyday.
Ananya Bhasin
For long the members of the LGBTQ+ community have been forced to live in the closet due to stigma and taboo. Let's break free their bonds and support them openly, so that they can live their live the way they want it.
Meet Sajal Gulati, a first year medical student studying at Krishna institute of medical sciences, Karad, Maharashtra. Sajal is a motivated and reliable individual with a strong work ethic and ability to work independently.
Turning Tables
Athira is a First Year MBBS student at CMC Ludhiana and considers writing to be one of the things she lives for. An ally for as long as she can remember, she believes in spreading positivity through the stories she writes and love through words jotted down!
”The truest form of freedom is being yourself. The truest form of support is helping others be themselves." I come from a typical Christian family where the term 'homosexuality' would be considered equivalent to taking Voldemort's name in the wizarding world. Well, at least that used to be the case. Today, I choose to highlight positivity. As an ally, the way in which I've seen change in my own small way brings sheer joy to my heart. Over the years, I've had the privilege of witnessing immense growth in the mindset of people around me. While topics of sexuality, identity and all things 'woke' may not be discussed with the usual 'Sharma-ji-ka-beta-ka-shaadi' kind of confidence, there has been a significant amount of progress in the area. And what's more, if 'Sharma ji ka beta' turned out to be homosexual, they'd probably not pass comments anymore. Well, at least, not in the open. And that’s progress! Back in high school, I had a male friend who was clearly interested in guys, something I caught up on from our gazillion conversations about guys (honestly, I should’ve known earlier!). He never admitted to it, at least not till the time he was caught red handed by me whilst gawking at my then boyfriend.
“I knew even as a kid,” he said to me, “but how was I supposed to be like someone my parents would speak against?” This was what it had come to. A boy lived 18 years, knowing he was different but being too scared to admit it for fear of being unloved by those closest to him. It took him heaps of courage and countless sleepless nights to finally tell his family that he was gay. And they took it hard. But hey, they took it. A week later, they realised that they were still his family and that he was still their son. Nothing had changed so why should their attitude towards him? They accepted him for who he was and even went on to meet his boyfriend! This is how families are changing. From watching cliché Bollywood storylines revolving around a boy and a girl too shy to hold hands in public to getting through a romantic moment shared between two men on screen without feeling the need to fake an urge to use the washroom, my family, too, found a way to lay their defence mechanisms down and just listen. Listening turned to understanding and understanding to becoming allies. It took my staunch Christian of a Dad 5 years to be okay with me being friends with a girl who came out as a lesbian. It took her parents many more to be okay with her being herself. But eventually, they realised that this is who was and made peace with it. My point is, people can be understand that Love is Love is Love is Love. We can change the world, one mind at a time. Because in the end, Love wins!
My life : Not a Hollywood movie
Damn, it's pride month already?! Time really does fly by, and you don’t even realize it. This year has been particularly harder than last year, for this year came with a new variant of the coronavirus, and trust me when I say this that it spared no soul, NONE. However, that doesn’t go to say there aren’tother issues that also need addressing. In all honesty, I haven’t really done a lot for my community — the LGBTQIAP+ community — but I aspire to. I have big dreams of matching into dermatology and opening up a free skin clinic for LGBTQIAP+ youth, one where people will be looked at and not judged because if it’s anything a sexually explorative gay man needs it’s a judgment-free dermatologist and an approachable proctologist as they navigate their way through the world of bottoming and gay sex and that’s the truth. Sexual health is important for sexually active adults in their 20s, more so if they are gay and partake in penetrative sex. I, too, get tested every six months because there is nothing more important than health. NOTHING, so don’t ever neglect it. These tests make me anxious, and having to do it all in secret from my parents doesn’t help. Any time my skin breaks out, I turn into this frantic hypochondriac skimming through Robbins and whatnot and looking at pictures of gross rashes on the internet that do nothing but (give me anxiety?) unsettle me.
My reality of having to suffer all that in secret from my parents probably makes it painfully clear that I am not out to them, and you can’t give me a hard time about it either because sometimes IT JUST CAN’T BE. You can cry over however many sappy coming-of-age movies Hollywood has to throw at you, but it still doesn’t change the fact that they do not know what they are talking about. These movies do not mirror the Indian Scenario, and that’s because your life isn't a movie. It’s real and like other real things it has to be dealt with realistically because like it or not parents in real life aredifferent. They are not woke. They aren't characters plucked right out of some 'all’s well that ends well' shtick. Furthermore, they are hardened survivors of whatever that had had to do to get you where you are today. They are old school. Set in their ways. You cannot expect generations-old internalized homophobia to crumble in a snap. You got to work for it. Slowly and steadily and while that might feel like forever, remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day and an all-gender inclusive utopia is no easy feat. I know first hand that coming out isn’t easy but I am here for you.Hi
However, I am out to my friends. School and College both, and I'm really content with that. I do want to put it out there that these friends don’t include ‘the boys’ understandably so because MOST boys JUST WOULDN'T GET IT. I have nothing against men (you don’t say!), in fact my Grindr profile can vouch for that, but I am not going to pretend to find them understanding, the cis-heterosexual ones anyway. If patriarchy gave us anything it’s women. Gay men and women, straight or queer, are kind of alike actually. Both have their fair share of struggles and proving to do. To society, to men, so they know IT. THEY TRULY GET IT. I like my life the way it is. It may not be all that it that can be, but it’s not insufficient. My friends and I still talk shit about men over a few too many drinks. We still gawk at good-looking strangers, and we still judge people that walk past us at the mall by their sometimes borderline nauseating fashion sense. I don’t NEED to do drag or strut around in stilettos to feel GAY. Some do and that’s fabulous, but I am not one of them. Now WANTING to shout “YAS QUEEN!” not fearing what people might think is a whole different story because the heart needs what it needs and, it wants what it wants and, that’s the end of it.
Call Me By Your Name (Fanart)
a d n a P a t e Sw
A cult favorite, the movie Call Me By Your Name beautifully portrays the purity and pain behind love.
Pride Month – The Truth Can I be honest? One gay man to hopefully many? I think pride month is a joke to cis-heterosexual people. It’s the perfect opportunity for homophobic people to wave their fake, per formative, once-a-year ally ship in our face with the most selfish plain-as-day motives. They may be monetary or to win the favour of "THE GAYS" or worse BOTH. I think it is hogwash, complete, utter hogwash. For the out-of- closet, financially and familially independent LGBTQIA+ folks out there, it's a great excuse to hang with their other gay friends, something they probably already do, all the time but sadly, we aren’t them. We are med students. We aren’t any of those things. We depend on our family for something as basic as food, shelter, and emotional support. Whatever emotional support they can give us, that is. We are not reckless; in fact, we are so uptight that even a doctor can't conduct a PR on us without having to stick a lidocaine-filled needle into our conscious-as-hell asses let alone those fake-like-the-Kardashians 8 inchers with their floppy-ass tool. We have an obligation to be filial to our family, an obligation that we cannot, in a sane mind, forgo because that's just who we are. We are doctors. We study for the people, and after doing that, we work for the people. The very people that refuse to accept us. We are in every true sense masochistic.
It is sad, heart-breaking really, but not unfixable. We can use this opportunity, this attention that the world is giving us, and turn it in our favour. Doctors in India are an especially ill-treated community, but the D-LGBTQIA+ (D for Doctor) community endures unspeakable horrors. We stay in the closet, dreading what people might say or worse do, but end up serving those very people that we dread so much. So I implore each one of you to seize the day and do something. Make a difference. It could be as small as correcting your friend on an insensitive homophobic remark. You don't have to argue with them. You could be stealthy about it. Don't worry, they won't find out. I have a real-life example to demonstrate what that small change could look like. Just the other day, when I was casually scrolling through my feed on IG, a friend of mine, who doesn't know I am gay, shared an insensitive homophobic meme about how people mourn 9/11 for merely a day and pride month goes on for an entire month because homosexuality is a bigger tragedy. At first, I reacted with three laughing face emojis. I know what a classic. But then, something hit me. I don't know if that was my conscience or the fact that I knew it was pride month and that I should, for once, stand up for the sake of the gay want to-be dog dad in me, but I actually shot him down in a sassy yet sly way. I told him that people don't want an entire month to mourn 9/11, it's so sad that it fills people with emotions at the very mention of it.
Torturing them by reminding them of it every second of every day for 30 days would be too much, but pride on the other hand deserves every second of every day, for 30 days if not 365 because pride month came to be after decades of struggle for the greater good and that's it. That was enough to make him understand. He, though was left speechless, managed an "I see" and "I didn't look at it that way" and that filled my heart with joy that I almost cried. Almost, because I am a sociopath that doesn't cry. Just kidding, but do keep reading. So, that's how I made a change. It may not stick, or it just might, who cares! I changed the opinion of a friend and possibly made him homo-neutral. I know that's not what our community needs. We need allies, but 0 is better than a negative, so one step at a time, and I am positive we will get there. People always do, and we, are the best of them.
– Anonymous
Farewell Message
PRISMA, the first of its kind, provided a platform for medical students all over India to express themselves under the theme "Straight against discrimination”. We welcomed photography, art, poetry, articles, and all forms of creative expression and the response was elating! While designing the entries and going through them, we realised something impactful; Although immense progress is yet to be made in our path towards equality, we are well on our way. A simple call for our memoir journal brought so many people together under the rainbow. Whether it was the members of the queer community or allies, we witnessed an unwavering amount of love and support! From movie critiques to first-hand experiences, the entries provided us with a candid insight into stories that implore us to fight for change. We are truly honoured and grateful for this opportunity, for it allowed us to mediate a step forward in increasing the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community in India. This process, has left us enlightened, impassioned, motivated and in many ways more connected to the community. We can only hope these entries do the same for you!
- The Design Team
CREDITS Layout : Chavi Arora Design : Chavi Arora, Kritika Srivastava, Vennela Talla Proofreading : Gul Kalra, Chavi Arora
GUL KALRA
CHAVI ARORA
KRITIKA
VENNELA
Thank you for Reading
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