Indian clothing company Anouk Ethnic is making headlines, but not for their apparel. You see, Anouk Ethnic featured a lesbian couple in their ad. While that may raise a few eyebrows in the US, India outright bans homosexuality. Needless to say, the video has gone viral with tons of accolades for honoring diversity and empowering women.
Called “The Visit,” the same-sex couple prepare to make their romance public starting with the scariest confrontation: parents. The first half of the couple asks her partner if she is ready, and she responds with, “I'm sure about us, and I don't want to hide it anymore.”
"We tried to avoid the stereotypes associated with gay people," said Avishek Ghosh, one of the ad's producers, in an interview with the Times of India. "There was no one woman looking more masculine or feminine in the film. We tried to give it a candid feel like it is any other couple being apprehensive about meeting the parents.”
Anouk has released several videos that aim to empower women and challenge conventional stereotypes. Other ad endeavors include a woman rejecting a guy at a bar, and a single mother combating gossip.
Didn't know India bans homosexuality? As it turns out, India restored this bizarre old-fashioned homosexuality ban from 1861 back in December 2013. Citizens who defy this law face the possibility of 10 years in prison.
Wow. So, on the bright side, the video has gained over 3 million views, and Twitter is bursting with the related hashtag #BoldisBeautiful.
Can this spark a healthy dialogue in India? What do you think?
