The book sent to me by the Library was A Lotus of Another Color: An Unfolding of the
South Asian Gay and Lesbian Experience edited by Rakesh Ratti. As a heterosexual Anglo
American, I was a bit apprehensive about approaching this piece in the beginning. I
couldn’t approach it from a South Asian standpoint, and I couldn't approach it from a
homosexual standpoint. I wanted to do the book justice, but I didn't know how. So I
started to read. After reading the several sections, as well as the selections of poetry
throughout, I found my starting point. Suddenly I felt very connected to the book, to the
words of the writers within. This book is about feeling love from others and for others,
about searching for acceptance and shelter, about building the confidence to be one’s true
self in a world of barriers and difference. These are very real issues in my world—in
anyone’s world. And that’s what I carried with me into this altered-book piece. This piece
praises the beauty of individuality, the passionate spirit of love, and the strength needed
to be a lotus of another color.
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