BORN TO SPARKLE 🏳️‍🌈✨

"Good evening Ladies and gentlemen. Please put your hands together and welcome  -Oliver ."
The crowd began to cheer and clap.
Oliver was a well-known fashion designer. His work was appreciated and he had created a brand image for himself. In a short period, he had gained name, fame and money.

Dressed in a bright coloured semi-casual ensemble, Oliver looked very dapper.
Oliver had stepped onto the dais and waved at the crowd. He had picked up the mic -
" Hello everybody Thank you all for being a part of this evening here today with me.
I feel so humbled to have each one of your support. "
The audience had further shown their approval by cheering loudly.

It was a book launch event. Oliver had penned down his story -his journey, his experiences. He wanted to share it with everyone. Voice it out. Tell the community that -individuals like him are like any other normal human beings who have feelings as well and they deserve love and to be loved.

Someone from the crowd had requested Oliver to speak a few words about himself and his book and he was delighted to share. He began-

" I was born in a small town. We were a family of four - my parents, my elder brother Joe and myself.
I don't know when this exactly had happened to me. But from where my memories go back, I must have been around eight years.
Guys of my age were interested in playing with bikes, cars but I had shown an affinity for playing with dolls. I had loved applying make up- lipstick, nail polish. It had fascinated me. I had the interest to try different colours and shades.

My father had felt humiliated at his workplace. Every day when he would come home after his work, there would be fights and arguments and the reason behind it was obviously- 'me'.
My brother too had an issue. He would feel ashamed to take me along with him. Once at a party, I still remember he had introduced me to his friends as his neighbour.

My father and brother had stopped talking to me. My mother had tried her best to make me understand that the things that I am doing, are not what boys do.

Be it liking for my toys, or the kind of clothes I had preferred or my interests -everything.
I knew what she was going through but I felt helpless and I could not do anything about it because I was not the person who they had thought to be and I could not change it.

One day my father had come home early from work. Joe and I were studying in our room.
We had heard loud voices coming from outside. We knew that my parents were fighting. Both of us tried to hear what was going on. This time the fight was a little of a different sort.
My father could not take the humiliation anymore. He had asked my mom to tell me to change my behaviour or he would leave the house. My mom had argued hard. For the first time she had spoken openly about it and it was in my favour.
My father had started walking towards our room. We had quickly gone back to our seats and acted like we were studying. He had opened the door and asked Joe to pack his bags. I could not understand what was going on.
My mother was crying. She had requested my father not to leave the house. But my dad did not pay any heed. He had just walked out with Joe.
I had asked my mom - why she did not abandon me. My mother did not know what to answer. She had tears rolling. She just hugged me and said that she loved me and she is not going anywhere without me.

After that day, my father and Joe had never visited us. We never heard from them. It was like they had cut us off. My mom had lived in the hope that he might return home someday. My mother had finally come to terms with my effeminate personality.
I had no friends. I had completed my schooling and wanted to pursue a degree in fashion designing.
I was afraid that if I would go to college,  I might be mocked/looked down at and hence I had decided that I would take up an online course/distance education. That way nobody could know about my identity.
Unlike today, back then in the gender column- there were only two options- Male / Female. I did not know what to do. Nor could I leave it blank.
I did exceptionally good in the course.  The assignments, the projects were all appreciated. But when I had finished my studies and wanted to take up a job, people had qualms about recruiting me irrespective of my good work and sound knowledge.