Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Influencer and Lock Upp Season 2 contestant Sufi Motiwala has opened up about the emotional realities of coming out as a gay person in India, speaking candidly about family expectations, acceptance and the time it takes for both individuals and their loved ones to process such conversations.
During an episode of Lock Upp Season 2, Motiwala responded to fellow influencer Laila’s remarks about the courage it takes for closeted people to confide in someone close to them, such as their parents or siblings.
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Explaining why coming out can be an emotionally difficult experience, Motiwala said many parents grow up with certain expectations for their children, including marriage and grandchildren, making such conversations particularly challenging.
“Your parents often have specific dreams for you – that you’ll grow up to be someone significant, give them grandchildren, and that they’ll get to see you married. You also realise, ‘Oh, I won’t be able to fulfil those dreams and expectations.’ You don’t have the courage to go and tell them that the life they’ve planned out for you isn’t going to happen. Just think about it – when someone discovers they are gay, it takes them 10 or 12 years just to accept it themselves. So, if you go to your parents, they aren’t going to accept you in a split second; they will inevitably need their own time to process it,” he said.
Motiwala also recalled his grandmother’s reaction after learning about his sexuality, sharing that she had hoped he might eventually be attracted to women.
“My grandmother, who is 70 years old and doesn’t even know how to use Google, actually tells me, ‘At least try being bisexual. If you happen to like a girl, all our lives would be sorted out,'” he said.
The clip has since sparked conversations online. Reacting to it, an Instagram influencer admitted that he himself had found it difficult to speak to his parents about relationships, sex, marriage and whether he wanted children.
“So I honestly can’t imagine what someone from the queer community goes through when they have to tell their parents about their sexuality, not knowing how they’ll react,” he wrote in the caption.
Watch the clip here:
Sufi Motiwala on outdated stereotypes
Earlier, in an exclusive interview with India Today, Motiwala had also spoken about the lack of authentic LGBTQIA+ representation in mainstream entertainment. While clarifying that he had no issue with heterosexual actors portraying queer characters, he said opportunities for LGBTQIA+ artistes to tell their own stories remained limited.
“The issue is not a heterosexual actor playing a gay character. That is okay since it is work. But there are hardly any projects being created where LGBTQIA artists can tell their own stories. One story a year, and even that goes to a straight actor — that defeats the whole purpose,” he said.
The 21-year-old also addressed the industry’s tendency to portray LGBTQ+ characters as caricatures or comic relief, saying he would never accept such roles.
“I would rather die than play a stereotypical, caricatured version of myself,” he said, adding that such portrayals only reinforce harmful stereotypes and social stigma.
Motiwala, a fashion critic on Instagram, made his acting debut with Do You Wanna Partner, which premiered on Prime Video. He is currently a contestant on Lock Upp Season 2, streaming on Netflix.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
