A Poem - Being Punjabi and Coming Out as Gay

Being Punjabi and coming out as gay

It was his secret… which he had kept hidden deep inside

He knew that ‘coming out’… would not be such an easy ride

He’d felt he was ‘different’ now, for quite sometime

But he couldn’t help thinking, why he felt he was committing a crime

He had fought the urges within him, to be ‘this’ way

He didn’t know who to speak to, or what even to say

It came to the point he was struggling “I hate who I am!”

But oh, how he wished, that he did not give a damn

His dad was traditional, a desi macho type of guy you see

And he wanted to make his bapu, as proud as he could be

As the feelings got stronger, he could no longer put up a fight

He knew he had to (at some point) do what for him felt so right

He called his mom and dad, sitting them both down

They could see he was very serious and not acting a clown

He tried, but couldn’t get the words out – the words he knew were true

It played on his mind – it was the hardest thing so far, he ever had to do

“Bibi, Bapu, I’ve got something very important to say...”

“Just because I’m Punjabi don’t think I can’t be gay”

His dad sat thoughtfully…silent, looked up and gave him a stare

The burden had been lifted and for a moment he didn’t have a care

While his mom’s eyes filled with emotion, she released a single tear

Reality hit him -He was caught up now, somewhere between relief and fear

His dad composed, spoke quietly “I’m only going to say this once to you son”

“Be true to who you are above all else, because there is nowhere to run”

Every child is a gift... who deserves to be loved in their true skin

Whoever you are is who you were meant to be…in that there is no sin

He remembers those words his dad said...still to this very day

Because that was how it was for him being Punjabi and coming out as gay

Rajinder Pryor MBE