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India takes a mature stand on same-sex love and Twitter hails it

Well done!

Sohini Mitter

on February 24, 2017

India takes a mature stand on same-sex love and Twitter hails it

Credit: Shutterstock / AlexLMX

"A boy can cry to give vent to his feelings. He can also be soft-spoken or shy. Being rude and insensitive is not a sign of masculinity," reads the instruction manual of a health kit issued by the Indian government.

There's more. "Adolescents frequently fall in love. They can feel attraction for a friend or any individual of the same or opposite sex..."

Now, this is unprecedented, inspiring and perhaps long overdue.

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For India, a country where sexual activity between members of the same gender is illegal, it is a huge deal when the government makes these statements.

In a move praised by Indians on social media, the country's Health Ministry has decided to spread gender health awareness among youngsters by issuing resource kits that contain positive and sensitive messages as above, the Indian Express reported.

More than 260 million adolescents are expected to benefit from this through a network of 0.7 peer educators known as 'saathiya' (companions). Their main aim is to bust myths around gender behavior and spread awareness on gender health.

And Indians are already raving about it.