Why I am a hypocritical liberal

Coming from a deeply orthodox family, I am quite happy with how I’ve turned out as an adult. I am totally accepting of intoxicants, sex, varied sexuality, and political incorrectness – all things I was critical and sceptical of as a child.

Just a few days back though, a phone conversation with a friend shook the firm belief I held in my liberalism. We somehow got on to the topic of transgenderism – a phenomenon I have nothing against but believe has been emboldened by the advent of technology and is too much of a #firstworldproblem to be paid much attention to – and I was quick to express my reservations, saying it was not ‘normal’ for anyone to feel out of place in their assigned gender. Expectedly, there was a strong rebuttal. She argued cogently that diversity was the new normal, and that the age old habit of viewing varied choices as deviations from a preassigned normal was more condescending than liberal.

That got me thinking. This is indeed true – I have indeed looked at varied practices such as homosexuality, transgenderism etc. as deviations from a normal. In my heart of hearts, I am still not entirely comfortable with these practices, and I am only ‘allowing’ them to exist, instead of wholeheartedly embracing them. As a child, I was subtly indoctrinated to believe that the needs of individual had to take a backseat to the rules of society, if ever there was a clash between the two. I always thought I had overcome that indoctrination, but childhood hangovers are not to be underestimated. Sure, my attitude is far better than condemning and actively proscribing diversity, but it’s not ideal. To use an analogy, if my friend views the world as a canvas covered with a random splashing of all colours conceivable, I view it as one with carefully done, linear, monochromatic strokes, interspersed with what can at best be called jarring multi-chromatic irritants. I will never remove those irritants, but I secretly, almost shamefully, hope that they become one with their surroundings over time.

As an exception though, I have wholeheartedly embraced, and even practised, the ideal of uninhibited speech, as long as it does not directly incite violence. I am quite happy about that. As per the rest, there is still a long way to go.