LGBTQ Archives - Page 3 of 4 - DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

Directed by Shonali Bose, this heart-warming story about young Laila suffering from cerebral-palsy and undergoing life changing experiences is an underrated gem that you must watch.

Margarita with a Straw begins with a montage of simplicity, with sequences of a disabled girl taking active part in routine family car rides and having fun with college mates. This cuts to a scene where Laila (played to perfection by Kalki Koechlin), in her wheelchair is being carried by two men to the upper floor of her college. Kalki’s expressions evoke Laila’s disgust with this way of transport.

Unlike other portrayals of differently abled characters in Bollywood, the viewers aren’t made to feel pitiful or sorry for Laila. Laila is like everyone else. She makes mistakes and owns up to them. Her explorations might hurt others emotionally, but she is unapologetic for undertaking her journey.

Revathy, who plays Laila’s Aai is earnest and sincere. She is understanding yet a typical prude Indian woman who can neither accept that her daughter has a boyfriend nor that she watches porn. Still her apprehensions to accepting her daughter’s sexual preferences are not melodramatic; they are subtle, veiled and anti-climactic.

This isn’t a coming out story, or a love story. Rather, it is a journey of a young girl, going through changes, going into the real world, breathing in independence and exploring her sexuality and preferences.

It takes her half the film and romantic relationships with four different characters to finally say that she is bisexual. The film takes liberty in not only making others realise that Laila is attracted to both men and women, but also lets the audience see how she herself comes to that conclusion.

The clear distinction between a lesbian (Sayani Gupta’s brilliant Khanum) and bisexual is a feat achieved by this film because it clearly and aptly represents not one, but two people identifying in different ways with the LGBTQ+ community.

The depiction of Laila’s journey isn’t like a fierce roller coaster ride. It is like water currents of a river, which eventually end up finding its way to the calmness of the sea. It is an emotional, compassionate and humanistic portrayal which will certainly move you.

Feature Image Credits: Variety

Sakshi Arora
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Arts & Culture

Queer authors and poets to read this pride month

By DU Beat June 10, 2019

The pride month is here! A time where us queer folks gather in solidarity as big corporates indulge in ‘rainbow capitalism’. Here are 8 Asian authors you need to read this pride month.

Hoshang Merchant

Born in 1947 to a Zoroastrian family in Mumbai, Merchant studied in Los Angeles and Purdue. He is known as the first openly gay poet in Modern India. He edited India’s first gay anthology Yaraana: Gay Writing from India. Merchant is the author of 20 books of poetry and 4 critical studies. He even taught poetry and surrealism at the University of Hyderabad for more than two decades.

Akhil Katyal

Katyal is a New Delhi based poet, teacher and translator. His openly queer poetry revolves around cities and the remnants of the past. Katyal was an Asst. Professor at the Department of English of SGTB Khalsa College, Ramjas College and St. Stephens’ College, he even taught at the Shiv Nadar University. He currently teaches at Ambedkar University, Delhi. Katyal is best known for his collection of poems, How Many Countries does the Indus Cross? And his collection Night Charge Extra. He also translated Ravish Kumar’s collection of poems, Ishq Mein Shahar Hona (A city happens in love).

Sara Farizan

Iranian-American Sara Farizan is the author of the 2013 novel If You Could Be Mine, a novel set in Tehran, Iran revolving around two girls who fall in love. The book went on to win the Lamba Literary Award. Farizan wrote the novel after realising her own sexuality and the taboo around it, especially in the Persian Community. She is also the author of Here To Stay and Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel.

Aditi Angiras

Aditi Angiras is the founder of Bring Back The Poets, a spoken word poetry collective. She founded the collective in 2014, after her tryst with music, cinema and rap. Angiras is also a queer activist, intersectional feminist and a TED speaker. One of her notable poems is My Mad Girl’s Love Song based on Sylvia Plath’s poem Mad Girl’s Love Song. Angiras is also the co-editor along with Akhil Katyal of a digital anthology of South Asian queer poetry.

Vikram Seth

Author of A Suitable Boy and Mappings, a poetry collection, Seth is possibly one of the most well-known Indian writers of the English language. He is the author of 3 novels, 8 poetry collections and 1 childrens’ fiction book. In 2007, Seth became one of the voices against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. His mother, Leila Seth also refers to his sexuality in her memoir. In 2017, Seth was awarded the Makwan Prize for his queer activism.

Suniti Namjoshi

Born in 1941, Namjoshi is a poet and fabulist. She is best known for her book Feminist Fables. Her main influences are Virginia Woolf, Adrienne Rich and Kate Millett. She was also an activist for queer rights. Her work explores her lesbian identity and its definitions in a heteronormative world.

Saleem Kidwai

Kidwai is a medieval historian, queer rights activist and a translator. He taught history at Ramjas College, University of Delhi till 1993. He was one of India’s first academics to come out as queer. His work focuses on Urdu literature, the history of desire and courtesan culture. He is the co-editor of the book Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History along with scholar Ruth Vanita.

Shyam Selvadurai

His name might ring familiar to the English hons students, Selvadurai is the critically-acclaimed author of Funny Boy, a story set in Sri Lanka, building up to the 1983 rights. Selvadurai also released an essay in 1997 titled Coming Out which spoke about the bias and discomfort him and his partner faced in Sri Lanka. He released his fourth novel in 2013, he also has a spider named after him.

Feature Image Credits: Live Mint

Jaishree Kumar

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Features

My Brother…Nikhil: Revisiting the AID-less gay romance

By Shaurya Thapa June 7, 2019

Before Sonam Kapoor’s lesbian character in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, before Dostana brought gay romance in a problematic/not so problematic light, there was Onir’s 2005 classic My Brother…Nikhil.

Written and directed by Onir (that director whose one or two offbeat film you might be knowing, it stars Sanjay Suri (that actor you might have seen in some film or the other but you don’t know his name) as Nikhil, a gay swimmer in Goa growing up in a cosy yet subtly problematic family. However, to his emotional aid, are his sister played by a not-so-fresh Juhi Chawla (that actress in many an SRK film) and his boyfriend Nigel played by a fresh Purab Kohli (that drummer guy in Rock On). My Brother…Nikhil has this and that person involved in it, and it might not be fully mainstream, but still it shouldn’t be seen as ‘that gay film’. It’s more than that.

When Nikhil is suddenly infected with AIDS, the people around him start shunning him. He gets detached from his swimming, his parents, and everything else. He’s basically aidless.

But unlike all the LGBTQ related films in India before (the lesbian drama Fire being a major example), Onir’s drama is not that intense. And the simplicity in its narrative is what makes My Brother…Nikhil a heart-warming watch for the family.

Previously, there were just arthouse films on gay couples that were quite disturbing in the effort to accurately show reality that the oppressed face in India. This U-rated movie is no art film. There aren’t any dramatic ‘Ma, I’m gay’ monologues either. But it still manages to hit the right spots with the subtle realities of the Indian setting in which it’s based.

Nikhil’s father loves his son more with toxic manhood rather than fatherhood. He frowns whenever Nikhil’s mum calls him a ‘little boy’. If Nikhil loses a competition, all he hears is ‘This because of your lafandar friends’. When his sweet mother asks him to marry a woman just because she respects elders, Nikhil sums up the millennial view by saying ‘Typical Indian parents’!

When the AIDS angle is introduced, we see the expected stigmas of people treating Nikhil like how any vile Brahman would treat a Dalit. They stay away from him and his ‘bad touch’. These scenes are shown in a straightforward manner, no rivers of tears flowing and no tragic violin music playing in background.

Simplicity is why the movie shines. That’s why wherever it tries to go a little extra be it with the sentiments or Juhi Chawla’s English accent, it fails. On the other hand, the scenes with the parents and Nikhil’s boyfriends flow smoothly.

Coming to the boyfriend, Onir beautifully shows an ordinary relationship between two men showing that they care for each other. There are no stereotypical tropes of Bollywood romance or any forced ‘special’ aspect to the bond. Onir, who himself came out of the closet a few years back, doesn’t make being gay some sort of special thing, not like other problematic representations which try to gain sympathy and nothing else.

Being gay is just being human, like everyone in society. For this reason, My Brother…Nikhil definitely deserves a watch. You can stream it on Netflix or Hotstar.

Featured Image Credits- My Brother Nikhil

Shaurya Singh Thapa

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Sex Amma

Sex Amma On Bisexuality

By DU Beat October 4, 2018

My lovely munchkins, here is my sweet and saucy, ready-to-eat advice for you this week. This is for all you people who are confused about your bisexual needs. Fret not, you are not alone. Amma is here to help.

The first thing to remember is that there is nothing “unnatural” about your body. So what if you have feelings for both machas and machis? There is nothing wrong with that. The more variety in your dosas and chutneys, the better it is. Moreover, if you don’t experiment with your body now, when will you do it? Decriminalisation of homosexual sex is clearly sending you a message, muchkin. You can love anyone you want and yet be yourself. So go out there and don’t be afraid to mix and match your recipes. We are often hesitant in exploring romantic relations with the same sex. But my sweet love, we never know where our wet dreams might come from. Only when you engage in new, raunchy, absolutely filthy stuff you realise if you have a taste for it. Just imagine if you discover that you and your friend actually like the same chutney.

But remember attraction towards different people does not mean that you will be “ravenous” all the time. It just means you will unlock new shades

of your personality. The capacity to like different people might increase, but not our appetite itself if you know what I mean.

For all the confident bisexual anbe (sweetheart) out there, Amma can only moan in jealousy for all the fun you might have. A feast of sambhar,

dosa, upma, and chutney is laid out for you! There is, in fact, sometimes greater comfort and understanding between people of your own sex. This, of course, translates into tingling your taste buds (and other places too) under the sheets. Yum!

So, go out there and be free to explore the curves, the nooks, and crannies of his or her body. Amma is sure you will come back hungry for more.

The Experience of a Transgender Woman in University of Delhi

By Raabiya March 15, 2018

The society has built walls of non-acceptance, invisibility, and harassing transgender people. Studying at the University of Delhi while being myself openly, I recount my own experiences.

After much introspection, when I finally understood and identified myself with the “label” of a transgender woman, I realised that life is going to be tough. While you can hide your sexuality, it is hard to hide your gender expression. Gender expression is overt and apparent. Even though medicine and the legal system have developed in this matter, transitioning from male to female is not a cake walk.

Gender dysphoria is emotionally and mentally debilitating. Very simply put, it is the discomfort due in “phallic” circumstances. Beginning with, using the “male” washroom in college feels wrong and almost unsafe to use. Moreover, at the metro station, I have to be body-checked at the “male” security check. To experience this before coming to college every day becomes difficult and often prevents me from attending classes. Once I was wearing a kurti and churidar along with a dupatta and the security guard asked me if I’m male or female, after which he proceeded to touch my genitals. I felt numb, angry, and violated.

After I found the right name for myself and became comfortable in my identity, I came out to my friends on Instagram. Visibility is important and telling everyone proudly and unashamedly, certainly made things better. The initial reaction was largely and overwhelmingly positive. My friends started using my preferred name and pronouns. After coming out, I encountered a series of ignorant questions like “Are you male or female?”, “Since you’re biologically male, that means you’re a trans-man, right?”, “Why do you have to be extremely feminine all the time?”, or “Have you tried being masculine or being with a girl? There is still time and maybe you’ll change.” I try my best to explain to those who genuinely ask but, often the sheer ignorance puts me off. For a generation that spends most of its time on the internet, this level of obliviousness cannot be expected, especially within the age demographic I spend most of my time with.

People everywhere face prejudices and stereotypes. A blonde woman has to prove she’s not dumb, a brown-skinned woman ought to prove she’s beautiful, but, as a transwoman, I have to prove that I am, in fact, a woman. Since I am not medically transitioning yet, people “misgender” me, and often perceive me as male which is extremely discomforting. The general understanding on transwomen is that “She is about to become a woman”. While I may not be physically female yet, I am a woman, naari , and larki through and through.

While I’m very comfortable in my womanhood, validating moments like being gendered correctly by strangers, being referred to as “ma’am”, or when someone approaches my friends with my birth name and surprisingly they don’t remember it, fills my heart with happy blood and I feel at peace.

Raabiya Tuteja

[email protected]

Keep Reading

LQBTQ

Gender Revolution: A Beginner’s Guide

By DU Beat February 10, 2018

For a long time, our society has considered heterosexual, and cisgendered identities as the norm. With changing times, LGBTQ+ persons are being recognised and celebrated. Here is a glossary that will give you a glimpse into the concept of varied gender identities and their expressions.

Sex – Sex refers to the biological anatomy of a person (Eg- male, female, intersex)

Gender – Gender refers to the psychological identity of a person (Example – Cisgender, Transgender, Agender, Gender fluid, etc). Gender is a social construct and is based on the notions of societal roles, clothing, expression. Gender binary refers to an idea that gender and its expression is strictly male/masculine or female/feminine based on sex assigned at birth. Such an idea becomes problematic for those who don’t fit into such a system.Gender Identity- Gender Identity refers to a person’s internal awareness of their gender.

Sexual Orientation – A person’s feeling of attraction to other people. A person may be attracted to the same sex (lesbian, gay), opposite sex (heterosexual), both sexes (bisexual), or without reference to the sex or gender (pansexual). Some people do not exhibit sexual attraction at all and, hence, they are called asexuals. While sexual orientation is about attraction to other people, gender identity is about a deep-seated sense of self.

Gender Dysphoria – Involves a conflict between a person’s sex (biological self) and gender (psychological self). The presence of Gender Dysphoria is the medical diagnosis of being transgender as defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). The inclusion of gender dysphoria as a diagnosis in DSM-5 is controversial in transgender communities because it implies that being transgender is a mental illness rather than a valid identity. But because a formal diagnosis is generally required in order to receive or provide treatment in India, it does enable access to medical care for some people who wouldn’t ordinarily be eligible to receive it.

Transition – According to DSM-5, a transition is seen as a treatment for gender dysphoria. Transition usually involves counselling, cross-sex hormones, puberty suppression, and gender reassignment surgery. Some people may have a strong desire to be treated as a different gender without seeking medical treatment or altering their body. They may only want support to feel comfortable in their gender identity. Others may want more extensive treatment including hormone treatment, and gender reassignment surgery leading to a transition to the opposite sex. Some may choose hormone treatment or surgery alone.

Transgender/Transexual – Usually abbreviated as ‘trans’, it refers to a person whose gender identity does not match the biological sex they were assigned at birth. A transgender boy refers to a person who was born as a female, but their gender identity is a male. While a transgender girl refers to a person who was born as a male, but their gender identity is a female.
Intersex – A disorder of sexual development, results in a reproductive, genetic, genital, or hormonal configuration such that the person’s body can’t be easily categorised as male or female.

Kinnar Community – Usually known as ‘Hijras’ in North India, the Kinnars are a marginalised group of eunuchs, intersex, and transgender people. They have been legally recognised as the third gender in our country. Please note the words ‘chakka’, and ‘hijra’ are offensive words and one should refrain from using them.

Agender – A person who doesn’t identify as a man, or a woman can be labeled as Agender.

Gender Fluid – A person whose gender identity/expression shifts from male to female is gender fluid.

Gender Queer – A person whose identity doesn’t follow the gender binary. Such a person will identify as a combination of both genders, neither of the two genders, or somewhere in between.

Pronouns – One should use appropriate pronouns for a person based on their gender identity. It’s best to ask a person which pronouns they use. Apart from the commonly used ‘he’, ‘she’ pronouns, genderqueer people use ‘they’ or the newly created nongendered pronouns; “zie” and “per.”

Satrangi Salam!

Reference: National Geographic Magazine, January 2017

Feature Image Credits: Tele Juice

Raabiya Tuteja
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Events

Rainbow State of Mind by Nazariya

By Radhika Boruah January 28, 2018

The latest edition of Rainbow State of Mind at South Asian University was brought about by Project Voice+ and Nazariya. The event entailed a workshop, slam poetry, panel discussion, and an open mic.

Ipsa James of Karma Centre for Counseling and Wellbeing conducted the workshop and enlightened the audience about the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community. She talked about the different types of sexualities and even the subdivisions of asexuality, the diktats of patriarchy, the discriminatory Trans Bill, Article 377, and the various malpractices against the community.

As the workshop went on, the community and its allies agreed on how even men are victims of the same patriarchy, being feminine is considered weak and only women-based derogatory slangs are used in the society. Ms James revealed about the startling corrective rape and male rape statistics of other countries since India’s statistics are not available yet. From the psychological perspective, she talked about the various styles of attachments that make or break a relationship. She encouraged the audience to be more attentive to their friends’ behaviour and the ways to help them if they come out with problems about their sexuality. On being asked a question about ‘queer-friendly’ doctors, she mentioned the online websites where one can find a credible and reliable LGBT friendly doctor.

Followed by the workshop, the audience was treated with two very moving pieces of slam poetry. Uppo Tsuyo, one of the poets, began with a short message on the LGBTQ+ community in our country and sang an ode to the ‘Young Transmen of India’. In her heartfelt composition, she talked about the struggles of transgender men in our country, from the anxiety of not being ‘man enough’ and corrective rape to the scarring top surgery. Angana Sinha Ray took the stage with her poem, ‘When your Daughter Brings Home a Dyke’. Angana reclaimed the slang ‘dyke’, which is usually used in a negative connotation, using it to empower her identity. After all, dykes “are just women who love other women who consent”.

The slam poetry was succeeded by a panel discussion by Dr Ruchika from Karma Centre, Shambhavi Saxena, Writer and Editor at Youth Ki Awaaz, Ms Ipsa James, Ruth Chawngthu, Co-Founder of Nazariya, and Rudrani from MITR Trust. The title of the discussion was ‘Labels, Languages and Contemporary Queer Issues’. On being asked about the most pressing queer issues, each panellist spoke their part. Dr Ruchika talked about the biased and outdated tests to get a certification for the gender reassignment surgery. Ms Saxena and Ms James mentioned the lack of representation of the community on policy-making platforms and the judgemental behaviours among psychologists. On being questioned whether the acronym ‘LGBTQIA+’ is a narrow or wide enough representation. All the discussants agreed that such labels can be liberating and restricting at the same time. Ms Rudrani added that labels segregate people and bring inequality. The panel also broached the subject of lack of knowledge about the community. Their basic information is many a time not even taught to doctors. The government provides zero aid to the mental health sector and absolutely no mention of the history of the community.

The day ended with an open mic session on ‘The Politics of my Bedroom’ added liveliness to the environment. Since the event was a ‘safe space’; it allowed the audience members to talk about their lives freely and confidently. Out of all the performances, the most fun to watch was a drag queen expressing the sexual politics of his bedroom. From allegations against his ex to romantic words for his current partner, he was fierce and full of drama.

Image Credits: PV Purnima for DU Beat.

Prachi Mehra
[email protected]

Raabiya Tuteja
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Biblio

Book Review: I am Divine, So are You

By Radhika Boruah January 17, 2018

Many would argue that our gender-equality oriented culture is prominently an on-going matter. It is very off-setting for the youth who openly recognise themselves as LGBTQ, and difficult for the people of the past generations to accept this culture on micro and macro levels. Sexual morality has varied greatly over time and between cultures. A society’s sexual norms and standards of sexual conduct can be linked to religious beliefs, or social and environmental conditions, or all of these. In his book, Devdutt Pattanaik, along with editor Jerry Johnsons and others have introduced the animating principles of the major karmic faiths (based on the beliefs of rebirth) related to sexuality. The karmic faiths Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Hinduism share many common roots. The holy scriptures of these religions contain stories, ideas, and narratives of different sexual orientations and gender identities. Sexual orientation and gender identity are two different concepts, as are sex and gender. On one hand, it is biological and on the other it is societal. Sexual orientation is the romantic indulgence towards other people and can range from heterosexuality to homosexuality etc. Gender identity is one’s sense of self as a woman, man, or transgender, and may be different from one’s biological sex. Through the introduction of the modern doctrine of secularism and keeping away organised faith from politics, economics, and identity, there have been escalating instances of societal problems like queer-phobia, which is the explicit and implicit hostility towards LGBTQ people. Hinduism reveals a greater comfort with transgender stories, like describing Lord Vishnu turning into a beautiful damsel Mohini, and Lord Shiva becoming a half- woman. Over time, the traditions and beliefs of the people changed and things turned hostile for the queer. Their exclusion and isolation- socially, economically, and politically- became the new tradition dear to different communities, religions, or nations. However, the overarching and fundamental wisdom common to these faiths make ample room to accommodate the queer with innovative ideas. These karmic faiths describe that our body, our personality, and our sexuality are outcomes of the karmic burden and they are therefore natural. While the third gender is acknowledged in India, homosexual unions are criminalised. This can be traced back to the conservative Christian and Islamic frameworks where there are notes of homoerotic love, like that between David and Jonathan, and it was described as “unnatural sex”. As you read through the book you will realise that the fundamental principle of equality is not a feature of karmic faiths, rather there is a celebration of diversity. They articulate the strains of beliefs that affirm the dignity of queer expressions and encourage a sense of identity that is authentic and liberated from social and illusionary constructions. Feature Image Credits: Radhika Boruah for DU Beat Radhika Boruah [email protected]]]>

Keep Reading

News

Supreme Court to Review Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code

By DU Beat January 8, 2018

5 years after it’s initial verdict, a three-judge bench of The Supreme Court of India has decided to review the criminalisation of consensual homosexual sex under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The said law was created by the British during the colonial era and holds that only penile-vaginal sex was not “against the order of nature”. Under today’s order, the court has decided to refer the matter to a larger bench that will re-evaluate the constitutional validity of Section 377.

In 2013, the apex court reversed the Delhi High Court’s 2009 judgement, which held that criminalising gay sex, “does not suffer from the vice of unconstitutionality”. Under the judgement, the court gave the amendment and repealing powers to the legislature, as it deemed fit. Last year, Congress M.P. Shashi Tharoor introduced the Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill seeking changes in Section 377 of IPC but the bill failed to gain a majority in the Lok Sabha.

The recent order comes in response to a writ petition hearing filed by five members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community. In the order, the court said, “Determination of the order of nature is not a constant phenomenon. Societal morality also changes from age to age. Law copes with life and accordingly, change takes place.” The court also noted that while choice can’t be allowed to cross the boundaries of law, “The confines of law can’t trample or curtail the inherent right embedded in an individual under Article 21, the right to life and liberty.”

The “section of people who exercise their choice should never remain in a state of fear”, the Supreme Court said in reference to the five petitioners and the LGBT community at large. While throughout the existence of the law, not more than 200 arrests have been made, the police use it to harass and threaten the members of the community.

The celebrated order provides hope and hinges in favour of decriminalisation of consensual gay sex. Akkai, an LGBT activist said “we need to welcome it. We still have hope from Indian judiciary. We are living in the 21st century. All politicians & political parties must break their silence & support individual’s sexuality”

Moreover, the recent judgement on the fundamental right to privacy was also taken into account by the court. The judgement was in favour of respecting the freedom of the individual to their sexual orientation. While the judgement was welcomed by the LGBT community, Gautam Bhan, an LGBT activist, entailed that, “We could have gone to court on privacy grounds. But we didn’t because that is not acceptable. It is just tolerance that favours the elites who can afford to conduct their lives behind closed doors. The judgment is much more than that. It has spoken of privacy with dignity and equality. It reaffirms the Delhi High Court judgment in speaking of sexuality within the framework of constitutionality.”

Feature Image Credits: Daily Mail

Varoon Tuteja
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Arts & Culture

10th Delhi Queer Pride Parade in Photos

By DU Beat November 16, 2017

Barakhamba Road at Delhi seemed to have been transformed into a gay wonderland drenched in rainbow flags, colourful balloons, and intelligible slogans along with its cheerful and ‘gay’ crowd, as it witnessed the 10th edition of the Delhi Queer Pride Parade. The parade held on 12th November celebrated the queer community of our country and, more than that, pressed their manifesto demanding equal rights for the community.

Every year, the pride walk provides a platform for the LGBTQ+ community to rejoice in their queerness, while it is an avenue for straight allies to show their solidarity and support. Here are some captivating glimpses from the 10th Delhi Queer Pride Parade.

In dark times, we must stay strong. With this resonation, people across Delhi met to sing, dance, and celebrate in an attempt to create a safe space where voices were raised and freedom was demanded. The pride walk was dedicated to people across all sexualities and genders who face discrimination and violence in their lives.

The LGBTQ+ community majorly fights against the dated colonial laws, in particular Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 2013. Under the effect of this law, any consensual homosexual conduct between two adults is illegal and thus punishable. Being queer is often labelled as a choice and a lifestyle – here, an attendee of the pride walk raises a fitting reply to such schools of thought.

Since pride parades create a safe space for the queer community, they provide a stage for members to dress how they want to with no sort of judgment or enforcement of any gender rules and norms. This helps members of the queer community to raise their voice and be proud of themselves and their identity, especially because they are constantly branded as ‘outlandish’, ‘abnormal’, ‘meetha’, and ‘chhakka’ in their daily lives. To see them take pride in themselves in a stereotypical and orthodox society like ours speaks of the heights of their courage.

Though the Queer Pride Parade is held every year, each year it seems fresh and empowering for its people. This year, the march held from Barakhamba Road to Jantar Mantar saw a spree of engendering queer folks who seemed to say a big “screw you” to heteronormativity. While some sang and danced their queerness out, the others appreciated them and captured these liberating glimpses. What was even more delightful was that the police personnel stationed throughout the length of the path also appreciated the queer community.

While the queer community members live in the constant fear of being ostracised and even disowned by society and, moreover, by their own families, for one day, all fears are put aside and courage is mustered to come forward and openly be themselves. Protesting voices raise their claim to live with dignity and security. Love is love, irrespective of gender and sexuality. It should not matter whether it is homosexual, bisexual, transexual, asexual, pansexual, intersex, non-binary, genderqueer, or so on.

The rainbow walk ends in front of Jantar Mantar each year and here, the Delhi Queer Pride manifesto is read out. The true festivities begin with innumerable and lush performances. Attendees go home with aching cheeks from all the smiling and cheering they’ve done throughout the day.

While the LGBTQ+ folks are fighting for legal recognition, it is equally important that our social and cultural spaces are inclusive to the community and that the queer population is embraced as equal children of Mother India. Proper sensitisation and open discussion is necessary to raise knowledge and acceptance. Moreover, heteronormativity needs to be challenged and inclusivity needs to become the norm. Pride is a moment of celebration where the stigma and shame the queer community receives is rejected and everyone exists how they wish to, free of social expectations.

Satrangi Salam!

Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan and P.V. Purnima for DU Beat

Varoon Tuteja
[email protected]

Keep Reading