The Family Braveheart

*Names have been changed.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a post about Lavanya*, a friend of mine who stayed true to her sexuality, an act of great courage in hypocritical Chennai. If you cared to read the story, you would have known that she and her lover Aparna* walked out of their parents' homes and started to live together. What is even more gallant about them is that both women belong to the so called "Higher Caste", you know, the Brahmin Community. They haven't gotten married or anything, as the law here does not recognize same sex marriage, but they are living together, as lovers, happily.

I already have great admiration for these two beautiful, courageous women, but what cemented my eternal respect for them is the common sense shown and how they responded to the threats they received from their respective families; money-wise and physical threats as well. Lavanya and Aparna didn't come out of the closet until they finished their college and settled into well paying jobs, really displaying common sense that is quite rare among most people their age. Once, one of their parents (I don't remember which girl's parents), hired some local rowdies (paid hoods) to threaten and frighten them into returning back. Their response was the epitome of calm and level-headedness. These girls aren't stupid, they have a lot of friends, friends who had connections they weren't afraid to use. They lodged a police complaint for eve-teasing and sexual harassment against the rowdies, I'm sure they even purposefully exaggerated their fear. The police here take eve teasing complaints rather seriously, and if the complainants pass along a bit of cash and also happen to have some friends in high places, then, end of story. The girls haven't had any trouble since.

Well, the reason I am writing this post is that the both of them decided to take their relationship to the next logical step: start a family of their own. They already live together, and now they have adopted a baby from one of the orphanages around the city, that too, a very cute baby girl. Its a good thing that they didn't go for all that 'I want a baby with your genes' crap and instead gave a life to an abandoned child who needed a loving family. Now, they really are a beautiful family, in the most literal sense. Both the girls are exceptionally beautiful, and the new baby girl, they've named her Ramya, is also extraordinarily beautiful, even as beautiful as all babies go. This has put to rest the doubts of many people, even mine, that the girls will eventually succumb to societal norms and family pressure and split up. Furthermore, to cement the bonds of their spanking new family, they are planning to buy a house in one of those posh townships that are cropping up all over suburban Chennai.

Truly girls, you continue to amaze me!

I wonder:
The law against homosexuality, Art. 377 of the Indian Penal Code (enacted by the Victorian British in the 1890s), prohibits acts against "the order of nature." But the law states that such acts require "penetration". I may be wrong, but isn't there a loophole here? Lesbians technically cannot penetrate anything naturally (tools and aids didn't figure into the legal picture), so shouldn't they be exempt according to the law as it is currently worded?