they called us homos,
men with pussies
they called us chakkas*,
gandus** and sissies

they bullied us
calling name after name,
now they’ve made us criminals,
Isn’t it a shame?

they banned our love,
saying we can’t procreate
is that a reason to deny love?
do they conceive, every time they mate?

they said it’s a sin,
we would be punished, God will judge,
if it’s between the sinner and God,
why do they bother and hold a grudge?

they said it’s from the west,
not our culture, not our dharma
shouldn’t they visit Khajuraho, read Kamasutra
and leave us to our karma?

they named our unions impure,
claimed that we break social order
having lost barriers of religion and caste
gender is their next sacred border

we are here and we are queer,
they want to punish us and discriminate.
now what would you choose,
our love or their hate?

* chakka – Hindi equivalent of the derogatory word: tranny
** gandu – Hindi equivalent of sodomite