This Indian Life by Shoba Narayan: What colour is your chocolate?

White or dark, it’s all normal. All chocolate. And love is love.

As I said in my last column, my niece Sumi is gender fluid. My extended clan went through the usual routine: uproar, gossip, blame, shame, self-doubt, and smug rationalisations. Relatives played ostrich. They called Sumi’s harried parents, hoping for gossip and tears. There were endless repetitions of “I cannot believe this is happening in our family.”

Normal is an outdated concept. These days anything goes...(Shutterstock)

Perhaps a better way to disclose your gender fluidity is to sit your beloved down and explain it in person. Not over a loudspeaker like Facebook update.

Finally, they stood in shock when a Facebook update announced that Sumi was engaged to Kalyani Sharma. The peppy post said that “They/Them would be delighted if you can join in the wedding festivities.”