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On IIT-B campus, you can be gay and happy

MUMBAI: From the outside, the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay has always seemed like an unevenly divided campus-a whole lot of boys with just a smattering of girls. Now theres a third story. In what is probably a first for an Indian educational institute, IIT-B has set up a support group, Saathi, for those of its students who belong to a sexual minority-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer-to help them accept their sexuality and shed their straight masks if they want to. Saathi is a positive space not only for LGBTQs but also for those still unsure of their sexuality. We believe the first step towards understanding and accepting homosexuality is breaking the veil of silence, said a note on Saathi. Getting people to talk about the issue is key. We thus have also invited allies to join-people whore not necessarily LGBTQ, but would nevertheless like to help create a healthy, supportive atmosphere on campus, said a note on Saathis formation. LGBTQ students on campus said they lived in a perpetual state of confusion, unhappiness and anxiety. Many are still in the process of coming to terms with their sexuality. The others must continuously put on a charade of being straight. We live closeted, lonely lives, unable to reveal our innermost feelings to anyone, in constant fear of being outed, and often never reach our full potential as human beings, said a member. Some of us suffer from depression, a few have even seriously contemplated suicide.

                                                                                                               
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