When I was 5, I was mocked at for not wearing girly clothes.

When I was 8, my cousins made fun of my nasal voice.

When I was 12 and I fell in love with my teacher, I was called a weirdo.

When I was 17, I was isolated by my peers for being a homosexual.

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This culture wants boys to dream only of cricket, trains and guns. This culture has no room for girls to imagine beyond the gendered stereotypes.

This reality is what inspired Gaysi to explore the pervasive nature of bullying and bring forth narratives that deserve attention.

And hence, as a part of raising awareness about bullying, we will be publishing interviews, photo essays, information graphics, visual narratives, personal accounts, non-fiction pieces and more through April, in efforts to bring visibility to a grossly under-documented issue.

This includes an exclusive interview with a psychiatrist and counsellor who caters to emotional & behavioural concerns of young adults, a photo essay with the students of IIT Bombay, a comic on walking a mile, narratives to help identify bully behaviour, a podcast with students of Ruia college on the reality of bullying, body shaming, coping mechanisms on the campus, along with stats from our polls on the reality of bully victims.

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At what point, someone once asked, would I stop being so touchy about such matters? Never, i think. It’s high time we respect and become sensitive towards others.

Schools and families are in desperate need of proper tools to confront this problem. We can give them a starting point… A message that will have a far reaching and long lasting effect in confronting bullying.

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When I was 26, my friend remarked, Girls should not have romantic likings for other girls.

I danced and said “This one has”.