"There is a community that is struggling for rights."
Akanksha Chamola is facing backlash after doubling down on her controversial “sexuality is a phase” remark following her exit from Lock Upp.
The second season of the reality series concluded with influencer Shreya Kalra lifting the winning trophy.
Akanksha was eliminated before the finale and faced a wave of questions after leaving the show.
The controversy intensified after she reiterated her earlier comment about sexuality in a conversation following her elimination.
After exiting, Akanksha spoke to fellow contestant Tejasswi Prakash about her journey, during which the topic of sexuality came up.
Even as Tejasswi attempted to correct her understanding, Akanksha stood firmly by her position and elaborated on her view.
She said: “Yeah, it is. There are certain things, emotionally, physically, mentally, that get you to that point where you are like, you know what, I just don’t want to have this thing with anyone.
“But that doesn’t mean you are not seeking an emotional connection with a person.
“And now I know I am physically incapable of a relation in that sense. And that’s why I say.”
Clips of the exchange circulated rapidly on X and other social media platforms, drawing immediate and forceful reactions from users.
Many members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community expressed deep frustration at what they viewed as a harmful public statement.
One person wrote: “No ma’am, SEXUALITY IS NOT A PHASE. And she should think before saying it on national TV.
“A whole community is fighting for the same, as it’s already a taboo that this will pass out.
“It’s all in the mind, and it can be changed.
“She should refrain from talking about this.”
Another user commented: “Sorry Miss Chamola! Sexuality is not a ‘phase’!
“It is orientation, and there is a community that is struggling for rights, for their identity!
“This is not a fashion statement! You are not only a hypocrite, you are so arrogant as well.”
One X post read: “For years, people from the LGBTQ+ community are trying to prove that ‘Sexuality is not a choice’, only for this dumb ‘outspoken’ woman to say all this!!
“Akanksha Chamola totally needs both media training and sex education.”
A fourth user remarked: “Years of struggle by the LGBTQ community to explain all this.
“And here Miss Chamola explains something different that doesn’t make sense because she herself is unclear about sexuality and what she’s experiencing.
“Glad Teja called it out: No it’s not..”
The controversy surrounding Akanksha’s remarks is rooted in a series of revelations she made throughout her time on Lock Upp.
She revealed upon entering the show that she was separating from actor Gaurav Khanna, something only their immediate families had known.
Her bisexuality was later disclosed during an argument on the show when fellow contestant Shreya Kalra outed it as one of her secrets.
Akanksha Chamola subsequently broke down and said she had been “bisexual before marriage” to Gaurav, a remark that left many viewers confused.
Later in the season, she described sexuality as a phase and identified as asexual, attributing the feeling to the emotional toll of her separation.
Her continued doubling down on those statements after leaving the show has only deepened the criticism directed at her.
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