“I was swimming at a waterfall when I was thirteen years old,...

“I was swimming at a waterfall when I was thirteen years old, and I saw the half-naked body of an older man.  It was very attractive to me.  So I’ve had these feelings for a long time, but I’ve kept them hidden.  Homosexuality is illegal in Sri Lanka.  It’s looked down upon.  It’s seen as low class, mentally sick.  You will be an outcast in society.  It wasn’t something I could pursue, so I had no choice but to get married.  My family kept saying: ‘You have a nice job.  A nice house.  Everyone else your age is married, so now is the time.’  My wife is a very nice lady.  I’ve known her since childhood.  We have three children now.  But I’ve had to keep myself hidden.  I’d still meet with men during our marriage.  There were places I could go.  But it was dangerous.  One time the police found me holding hands with a man on the beach.  They took us to the station.  They beat us.  They threatened to tell my family unless I gave them money.  I paid them off and escaped.  But a few months later, a man came to my house and threatened me.  He said: ‘I know who you are.’  So I decided to leave.  My family knows that I’m here.  I talk with them on the phone everyday. But they think I’m in New York because of my job.  They don’t know the real reason, that people are trying to blackmail me.”