Arnab Nandy tells NDTV that his phone hasn't stopped buzzing since yesterday, and that's not hard to believe once you see the number of times his 'coming out' post on Facebook has been 'liked' and 'shared'. "I am so Gay Today (literally and figuratively) as I am no longer a criminal," wrote the 25-year-old Mumbai man, celebrating the Supreme Court verdict decriminalising homosexuality. Following the simple statement is a poignant post that details the struggles he faced while coming out to friends and family and how much their support helped him.
The post, shared about 18 hours ago, is accompanied by a picture that shows Arnab with his parents, smiling from ear to ear. His parents hold a placard that reads "My son is not a criminal anymore."
"Today as I entered my home mom and dad gave me a tight hug and said in their happy face 'Congratulation son now it's legal' and I couldn't help but let out tears of joy," writes Arnab in the post titled 'Came out of the closet'.
He says that he feels 'privileged' that his parents did not react negatively when he came out to them as a homosexual, and adds that he wants to sensitise people through his post. "It's my sincere request to share this message hoping it reaches folks who are struggling within and also their families."
You can read the full post below:
Since being shared online, the post has gone massively viral with over 12,000 'likes' and almost 5,000 'shares'. It has also received a lot of love from everyone reading it.
"This just melted my heart. All the love for you and your parents," writes one person in the comments section. "May you find loads of love and support both within the LGBTQ community as well as society at large!" says another.
When asked how he feels now that his post has received so much attention, Arnab tells NDTV: "People are not born homophobic. All that's lacking is a good surrounding and awareness. I'm glad my post is serving its purpose of reaching people."
"Spread love, not hate," he concludes simply.