Singh was at the gathering too and the TV crews zeroed in on him. Civil unions and gay marriages are on the radar, he said.

When he had introduced his boyfriend to his parents, Singh told them he was a “good friend.”

For the 32-year-old, the “illegal” tag stripped his relationship of dignity, and he never felt comfortable talking about it with his family.

But Thursday was a proud moment for him. It was like coming out of the closet the second time and the feeling was liberating.

“My dignity as a gay man has been reaffirmed,” Singh said. “I will be in a position to talk to my family. We have a stable relationship and I want them to know that.”

Years ago, when he came out to his parents, it had been under pressure. They did not know about his sexual orientation and like so many other parents, wanted him to get married. So Singh had to tell them. His parents were upset; there were tears, and emotional dialogues. But then, the doors had swung open.

Grappling with his sexual identity has always been an uphill task for Singh, who earlier worked with the Naz Foundation and in January started the Pahal Foundation. He is also a counsellor at the Pahal Beauty Parlour in Faridabad, which is India’s first gay beauty clinic.

He had felt isolated when other boys discussed women in school. He just was not interested. “I kept all of it to myself,” Singh said. But flipping through a magazine once, he stumbled upon an article on homosexuality and that was when he realised he could be gay. He visited psychiatrists, hoping they would not confirm it. “It was a struggle. I realised it was my orientation and if I didn’t accept it, I’d be betraying myself,” he said. “But for a long time, I wasn’t able to talk about it.”

... contd.