Grandma's Call and the Rainbow Shawl

 (Based on a true story)

 It was the year 2019. I was in my home country, Sri Lanka, preparing for an outing with my husband. I wore a sleeveless white top with denim trousers. I draped a rainbow-colored shawl over myself. To give my outfit glamour, I wore a necklace with rainbow-colored beats. The outing went smoothly, filled with laughter and shared moments. So, I shared our photos on Facebook. 

But it was a phone call from my grandma that added an unwelcome surprise to this day. She had seen the photos I had posted and reached out to me over the phone.

"Dahara.." she began, "why did you choose to wear that rainbow shawl?”

I responded, "Because I LOVE it. What’s wrong though?"

"People might think you are a supporter of “Bakala” people, so do not wear it again." she uttered.

("Bakala" is used to refer to queer individuals, and discussing queerness in public was once a taboo subject.)

Isn’t my grandmother, the vigilant Panopticon of Michel Foucault?

Am I not the prisoner who trapped in her watchtower?

As I hung up the phone, I was filled with a plethora of thoughts.

Despite it all, one thing remained certain – I wore, wear, am wearing, will wear my beautiful rainbow-colored shawl.

-Dahara de Silva-