"Let all the little children come unto me" (and the gays)

Today marks my two week mark in India!
Today I met with my new creative writing professor, Hoshang Merchant. He is a famously known poet and a famously known gay poet. He refers to himself as the "Queen of India." I fell in love with him before I knew anything about him. He was wearing Ray Bans with a traditional Indian outfit. He asked us what we wanted the class to be and how we should run it. With just a few other American students we discussed literature and poetry and life. He took us to chai as we discussed America, Bush, Obama, and the nuclear/atom crisis facing India. We left in silence, knowing words could would only ruin such a radical moment. We just experienced one of the hidden minorities in India, homosexuals. I am not trying to get extreme but to be a homosexual in Indian culture and society is RADical. He left us each with a book and a new fire in our eyes.
I went to my hostel invigorated because I have been dwelling on homosexuality since meeting my group. We have a gay male and female in our group, one straight gay rights activist, one straight with lesbian parents, and most of us have gay friends or family. We have had lots of discussions on homosexuality in America, in college and in life. I love my group. We each come from such different views and experiences, but all of us completely respect each other. But a couple days ago we were joined with another program sharing the hostel with us. They are great, but our group is a family by now.
We ate lunch and a couple of us went for an adventure, got some more stuff and clothes to fill our barren (my america standards) rooms. When we got back we wanted to play, so we rounded up about six of us and headed to the soccer field with a ball and frisbee. Let the games begin!!!
We were just passing around when BAM BAM BAM!!! Three boys came out of the forest and played with us! Within ten mintues we were playing a game of keep away with over ten kids. We loved them. I don't use the word lightly, I honestly love each one of them. They are one of the first groups of Indians that accepted me...us...Americans as equals. I respected them and they respected us. All language barriers were crossed with two hours of games! I felt like myself, I felt hyper and excited and funny for the first time in a long time! I love kids and the entire time I was just thanking God for letting the kids see pass our difference and accept us. I was so blessed and they can not even comprehend how powerful their love was.
An older guy appeared before we were about to leave and he explained that he founded a child care program for all the construction workers kids on campus.
I will take this moment to explain construction in India. First, it is always going on. Second, regular building is done by HAND. Third, lots of things get started and never finished. Fourth, 3/4 of the workers are women and these women bring their children to work. This guy we met created a safe place for these kids! His center has about 50 kids and another center across campus has about 40 kids. What a blessing. We were all touched and are headed back on sunday for another round of carefree fun.
After this we headed back for dinner and were greeted by the rest of our house already eating. I noticed my professors book was being passed around and he was the topic of every dinner table. "So he's gay?" "Is he famous just cause he's gay?"..."What he's gay?" HUH? All conversion stopped. Hahahaha...I wanted to laugh out loud. This girl that yelled this didn't know our group. She had no idea who she was saying this too. She quickly followed with "Wait, I'm not a homophob." I could see she was quickly going to offed people of my group, or me, so I got up and left and encouraged the rest of my group to do the same. But as we were all leaving I don't know what came over me but I stayed behind and went up to the girl. I breathed and spoke slowly. I like her and I believe she has a big heart and would never intentionally offed anyone. I simply said "Hey girl, I just want to make you aware of the fact that we have gays in our group here." She was stunned and flustered. "I just have never dealt with this" she quickly replies. THIS, THIS, THIS. We are all people, homosexuals are just as much human as Indians. I breathed again. "Listen, I am on your side so that is why I am asking you to be aware of what you say. You don't have to agree one way or the other, in fact, I don't care, just please before you speak or ask just imagine being gay and being asked that same question." "What?" She replies airily. Her friend speaks up, "Put yourself in their shoes."
So this is my rant, I don't care who you are, where you come from, or what you have left behind, YOU ARE GOD'S! YOU WERE CREATED BY MY CREATOR, BY OUR WORLD's CREATOR! So, please treat each other accordingly. These kids showed me love, so I did the same to this girl. I pray she takes this new challenge on and learns more about herself. I pray our group continues to bring as much joy to these kids lives as they have brought to ours.