Funny Boy and SALGA

Having grown up in the southwest (mainly New Mexico) in predominately Hispanic towns, I never really had any contact with people of South Asian ancestry until I moved on to college.  As a result, I had never really given any thought to South Asian gays and lesbians and the sort of challenges they face.  After last week’s class, I looked into some of the organizations that we had discussed and it was an interesting subject to read about.  The first group that I investigated was SALGA, or the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association. 

This group, as its name implies, seeks to spread knowledge and bring about a change in the status of gays and lesbians.  Regular meetings, hotlines, support networks, etc. are part of SALGA’s effort to offer encouragement to a variety of people who may not be able to get it anywhere else.  The sad truth is that our society and many other societies are still at a point where sexual preference sparks such controversy.  But the fact that groups such as SALGA exist to fight the taboo of homosexuality is reassuring.  “Tolerance, acceptance, and empowerment” should be the right of any individual, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what their orientation is.  I have known people of every orientation and while their sexual preference may be part of their identity, it is not what defines them as a person.

As the main character in Funny Boy demonstrates, this sort of support is important when one is met with disgust or disdain simply for being what they are.  Arjie sees nothing wrong with what he does or who he is, but because he is “different,” he is shunned and labeled as a ‘funny boy.’  Because being a homosexual is such a taboo in his culture, his life becomes that much harder as he grows up with the stigma of being gay.