Four generations:
Three continents: Two world wars: One village
These are tales spanning four generations spread across three continents
in between and after the two world wars of people who set forth under different
circumstances from one small village called Agaramangudi.
The story line traverses through different time lines, locations or
incidents with no particular order. The only order being the
alphabetical one – A to Z meant purposefully for the A to Z challenge. These
posts can be read as standalone posts, but would be best comprehended if
you read them along with their prelude provided as a link.
Queer Parade – San Francisco – 2003
That weekend they drove along the Golden gate bridge and to downtown San Francisco. The city was buzzing with activity. It was not unusual, because that is how most cities are over the weekends. After they checked into the hotel, Kannammal said she wanted to retire soon and start early the next day. She seemed anxious.
After lunch, later in the afternoon they drove down to Civic centre where the event was going to be culminated. Meera and Rajesh were excited as they were spotting well known movie stars, musicians, artists, wealthy businessmen and many other famous celebrities among the crowd.
In her speech she said she wished the Queer pride movement would soon gather momentum the world over.
Queer Parade – San Francisco – 2003
It was
a long weekend in California. Meera, her niece and her husband Rajesh wanted to
take Kannammal for an outing to some place nice. This
was the third year that she was doing her six month stint of baby sitting on
her tourist visa. Every alternate six months Rajesh ’s parents would fly down
on a tourist visa that enabled them to stay over for six months to baby-sit
their grandchildren. It was a convenient arrangement that worked well for
everyone.
Kannammal
was more than a baby-sitter to Meera and Rajesh. The easy going maternal warmth,
combined with a progressive outlook made her an instant hit with anyone from a
different generation to relate to her. She had a knack of listening to people
and reading their minds. Increasingly Meera and Rajesh found themselves seeking
out to her to unburden their worries and life dilemmas with her. They would enjoy the long philosophical
discussions in the evenings about life in general.
For the
long weekend, Meera and Rajesh were suggesting to her a few places where they
could drive down with the twins. Kannammal
said she wanted to go to Downtown San-Francisco on Sunday. She had an event to
attend.
Meera and Rajesh were perplexed. As far as they knew, she had not had any social life whatsoever in the six months that she would come to live with them. What event could she possibly be interested in , that too in San Francisco ?
Meera and Rajesh were perplexed. As far as they knew, she had not had any social life whatsoever in the six months that she would come to live with them. What event could she possibly be interested in , that too in San Francisco ?
In the first year that she was there babysitting her brother’s grandchildren in Palo
Alto, where her niece worked as a software programmer, Kannammal stumbled upon some strange words in Television news and newspapers. Over the years she had picked up a decent
English vocabulary. But this was the first time she stumbled upon the words
like ‘Gay’ and ‘Homosexuality’. Soon she
began to decipher the news headlines and all that was happening with a group of
people with a different sexual orientation who were fighting for their rights which was the television news headlines in California.
In some states across USA and in other countries that were relooking their
legislations for people who were not heterosexually oriented. She watched and
followed the news about them keenly over the next few years.
That weekend they drove along the Golden gate bridge and to downtown San Francisco. The city was buzzing with activity. It was not unusual, because that is how most cities are over the weekends. After they checked into the hotel, Kannammal said she wanted to retire soon and start early the next day. She seemed anxious.
As they
set out the next day, the streets were filled with the events that the Queer
pride activists had put out all over San Francisco. People from all over United
States and the rest of the world had gathered to give support and gather momentum
and recognition to the Queer pride movement that was gaining attention and
discussion.
After lunch, later in the afternoon they drove down to Civic centre where the event was going to be culminated. Meera and Rajesh were excited as they were spotting well known movie stars, musicians, artists, wealthy businessmen and many other famous celebrities among the crowd.
Little
did they know that they were actually with one.
When
the old widow with a tonsured head and a pale white saree from India stood up behind
the podium and spoke, the world took notice.
In her speech she said she wished the Queer pride movement would soon gather momentum the world over.
Perhaps, in India as well she wished.
Perhaps
not, she was convinced.
Most
Indian languages particularly the ones that Kannammal spoke, never had these words in their
vocabulary. Atleast she had not known them. It was almost as if nothing of that
sort existed in that time and in that place where she came from.
In her
days she could not articulate what it was. That was in 1954.
Had she
known them in her days, she could have made better sense of her destiny. Even
if she had not been able to do anything about it, she could have consoled
herself that...
It was not her fault.
It was not the fault in her stars.
It was not even the fault in that poor man’s stars.
It was not her fault.
It was not the fault in her stars.
It was not even the fault in that poor man’s stars.
For she
alone knew.
What it
felt like being married to a man who was not a heterosexual ...
What it
felt like to live a stifled existence in a loveless, sexless and a childless
marriage...
What it
felt like to live and die as a widow and a virgin...
In a
world in which Heterosexuals would always be a demographic majority, the voice
of the minority should not be vanquished by senseless legislations and stifling
social and moral constraints. For it
was in the best interests of heterosexual majority that more and more people needed to feel
safe and welcomed to be able to come out their closet. Her’s was a classic example of a life that was wasted being a victim because of
stifling social and moral constraints imposed by the society.
It was
Kannammal’s pioneering efforts through her writings and this speech that set
this movement to include the Allies of the LGBT community. On that day the LGBT movement added an ‘A’
at the end of the acronym. The LGBTA – now signified the Lesbians, Gay,
Bisexuals, Transsexual and Allies or the friends of LGBT community.
She
died a few years later, but not before she spoke up and made a difference to
the world.
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