In July, FAQ booklet for parents of gay youngsters

For two years, clinical psychologist Deepak Kashyap has counselled anxious and angry parents after their homosexual, bisexual or transgender children came out of the closet.

For two years, clinical psychologist Deepak Kashyap has counselled anxious and angry parents after their homosexual, bisexual or transgender children came out of the closet.

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Prompted by their questions and bewilderment, Kashyap is now developing what is ostensibly the country’s first series of educational booklets for parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) children.

“These parents experience a lot of guilt and suffering,” said Kashyap. “Some ‘blame’ themselves; others spend a lot of time and money trying to ‘cure’ their child.”
Through his booklets, Kashyap will seek to spread awareness about everything from the meanings of various types of gender identity to its health hazards and psychological implications.

The booklets, to be printed in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati, by the end of July, will be available at online bookstores such as Queer Ink (queer-ink.com) and NGOs such as The Humsafar Trust.

Based on the response to the first set, Kashyap plans a series of booklets — as part of what he calls The Little Pink Booklet Project — on gay rights, gay marriage etc.

Kashyap believes the booklets will help in cases such as that of Bidhan Baruah, the transgender 21-year-old who had approached the Bombay High Court after his parents opposed his decision to undergo a sex change operation, “Awareness and adequate knowledge could have helped Baruah’s parents deal with the issue in a more sensitive manner,” Kashyap said.

(To contribute to The Little Pink Booklet Project, e-mail deepak.j.kashyap@gmail.com)