This story is part of our Pride Month 2026 collection, where parents of queer individuals across India share their journeys of love, unlearning, acceptance, and the ways their children transformed their understanding of family and identity.

In this first-person account narrated to The Better India, Aruna Desai, an HR professional and founder member of Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents, reflects on the day her son came out to her, the lessons she has learned counselling thousands of Indian families since, and what it truly means to move from acceptance to active support.

The moment that changed my life forever was on 3 December 2007, when my son Abhishek, who was 17 years old at the time, came out to me as gay.

Just two weeks before that day, I knew very little about homosexuality. Looking back, I realise that my son and his close friend were gently preparing me for the conversation. They had told me about an "imaginary friend" who had been thrown out of his home because he came out to his family as being gay. 

The story deeply affected me, and I began reading about homosexuality to understand what such young people go through.

The day Abhishek came out

The day Abhishek came out, he had been crying profusely. He was clearly struggling to tell me something. As a mother, seeing him in so much distress was heartbreaking. Finally, I remembered the story he had told me earlier and asked him, "Are you gay?"

His response still echoes in my heart: "Mumma, do you hate me now? Will you accept me?"

At that moment, I may not have understood everything that lay ahead, but I knew one thing with absolute certainty: he was my child, and I loved him. I took him out for dinner that evening and told him, "I love you regardless."

That was the beginning of a journey that transformed not only my relationship with my son, but also my understanding of love, acceptance, and parenting itself.

But once I accepted my son, I realised this is something many........

© The Better India