Hairstylist sheds light on what it’s like to be bisexual in India
Justine Rae Mellocastro (right) with her ex, Ria. (Instagram/that_anarae_girl)
Justine Rae Mellocastro is a 25-year-old hairstylist living in Mumbai. She’s also bisexual.
Recently, she opened up about her experience coming out to friends and family in a video for 101 India, a youth-focused YouTube channel that connects urban Indian audiences.
“We believe in embracing our differences and celebrating them because this keeps us unique and diverse,” says the channels description. “We want to encourage a freer flow of information and dialogue and our human stories videos are based on culture, sub culture and counter culture.”
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“I never really thought about being different or why is it that I dress differently or act differently from other girls, or women,” Mellocastro explains in the video. “It just kind of flowed.”
She then goes on to describe what it was like coming out and how friends were very supportive. But Mellocastro had concerns with telling her mother.
“I went into turmoil frankly,” her mother says in the video.
“I didn’t know how to handle it. I started praying because there were so many things flying through my head. You worry about society. That’s the only thing that came in my mind.”
But eventually she came around.
“And then I said finally, ‘I love my kid’ and there’s nothing I can do about it myself.”
Instead of trying to make sense of her daughter being interested romantically in other women, she decided to accept it.
“According to what I think, Jesus, if he’s so crazy about her, he’ll accept her any way she is [then] so I should accept her any way she is, as well.”
Like her mother, a vegetable vendor who stumbled on an articled about Mellocastro and her then girlfriend, Ria, also found acceptance.
“I read the whole file about them and thought this is new mores, new thought,” he says in the video.
“If you think about it in an understanding way, then it’s fine. No one can change what nature has given. If we don’t support them then something wrong will happen.”
While Mellocastro was lucky to be surrounded by so much support, India still had a long way to go towards accepting different.
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In general, LGBT activity isn’t something widely accepted by Indian people or the Indian government. Up until recently, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) criminalized sexual acts considered "against the order of nature,” which included homosexual activities.
“For me it’s just about people,” Mellocastro explains. “If I find that emotional, intellectual attraction towards someone, then it doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman.”
What do you think about Mellocastro speaking out about her sexuality? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
