Himansh Kohli: I had less awareness about the LGBTQIA community, till my friend in school one day confessed that he is a homosexual

Himansh Kohli shares how his best friend in 11th grade one fine day informed him that he belonged to the

LGBTQIA community

in 11th standard. Himansh said, “I discovered more about

LGBTQIA

when a friend shared that he belonged to the community. I felt a bit shocked but then I understood. I was very young and then researched more about the community. I was proud that my friend confessed that he was a member of the community."

With the ongoing Pride Month, Himansh shared how Indian society has evolved and people are far more open about their sexuality compared to what the situation was, 10 years ago. He said, “After Section 377 was abolished in 2018, I think a lot of people have started coming out of the closet and openly express their sexual preferences. I am glad that things today have changed for the betterment of the LGBTQIA community and will hopefully continue to get better with time."

Himansh also feels that people need to be more accepting of the community. He said, "People need to bring more awareness. We need to help more people who go through a social stigma and bias they face on an everyday basis. Love is a beautiful feeling and gender should not come in between two individuals. I have many friends who belong to the community and I feel proud that they are part of the LGBTQIA community."

Himansh, who had earlier relocated back to his hometown Delhi, is now in Mumbai. He said, "I enjoy Mumbai weather during monsoon season. I had to come back and start meeting people for work."