We might have heard of gay couple stories through news and most of those stories happen outside India. For most of us, it is like a fairy tale and barely care to give it a closer look or thought. But here is a story of a Vizag boy who has his roots in India.
Salaphaty Rao is a third generation Malaysian Indian with roots from Vizag, Andhra Pradhesh, and is settled in Melbourne, Australia. At 22 years old, he is happily engaged to his boyfriend John Mc Cane from Ohio, USA, in a traditional South Indian engagement.
John and Salaphaty started talking on a Facebook group for LGBT Hindus. From their usual conversations to Skype sessions, theirs is a story that will make you believe in the power of true love.
John said, “If that idea wasn’t true, there is no way we would be in the wonderful position we are in today. We have overcome a distance of 14,000 miles (22530 km), cultural differences, and the average couple problems every relationship faces to be here. Love is truly one of the most powerful motivators in the world.”
Talking about the turning point in their love story, John further said, “It was probably toward the end of our first India tour together. I had become very ill in Delhi (the first time after a decade worth of trips to India) and as he cared for me I realised just how strong a connection we had made. It made me realise at that moment that I was willing to try a relationship with someone who was so far away if that meant one day we could be together for the rest of our lives.”
Talking about how John’s life changed after meeting Salaphaty, he added, “It has changed only for the better. We seem to complement each other. We are both very religious but I am very academic (wanting to understand the historical context and how people thought at that time) and practical while he is very philosophical and knowledgeable about the more esoteric meanings of Shastra. In this way it seems we manage to balance each other out. I want to thank him for always being there. We have been through so much together and he has always been one to stand by me. That is not a common trait these days.”
When asked about what love is, John said “Love is one of the greatest things in the world today but love is not easy. Love is work and communication and compromise. To truly make a relationship last we have to be willing to do all of these things to truly honor our partners as well as ourselves. The ceremony that was held according to Vedic Rituals in presence of family and friends in a ceremony in Melbourne was perfect.”
Now, that’s something really idealistic. Guess we need to learn from them and be progressive in accepting all those people who chose their lives this way.
Here are some pictures from their engagement.
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