Vad gör Ylle i Mumbai?

On being different in Mumbai there is much or there is nothing to write. Everyone and noone is different here. Since we arrived we have time efter time been surprised over what makes people raise their eyebrowes and what passes for absolutely ordinary in this city.
People sleeping on the sidewalk makes the passing pedestrian do nothing more than whatching where they put their feet a little more carefully. A womans bare shoulders raises the whole neighbourhoods attention.
A woman with any haircut other than long hair tied in a bun is a rare sight. Two men holding hands I can see any time I look out my window.
Homosexuality is not against the law here, but ”unnatural” sex is, still every time you travel by local commuter trains you are guaranteed to meet at least to or three transvestites.
I still haven’t found the answer to how this phenomenon with the transvestites can be so common and accepted when homosexuality is very much frowned upon. Could it be that a man dressing as a woman is not as connected with sexuality as it is for us in the western world? And why should it be really? If gender and sexuality is looked upon as two separate things, that could be the reason the gay community is not as open and visible here as it is in Sweden.
Also the gender roles are not entirely the same as they are in Scandinavia. The men are often very feminine by our standards, which means that the standard western gay man would not stand out from a crowd here. Nor would he get any looks walking down the street holding hands with his lover, since holding hands is everyday behaviour among men.

So trying to give a complete picture on the situation of homosexuals in India today I have ended up trying to figure out what it takes to stand out from the crowd here, and who has the need to do so. A lot is changing here, and even though India in many aspects are far behind the west, maybe in some aspects they are actually before us. And then who am I to evaluate how far they have gotten.