Chennai
Ram Rao, a 34-year-old agriculturist, had chosen his attire with care, for the occasion. Dressed in a traditional orange madisar, meticulously accessorised with matching neck pieces and bangles, he was holding a sepia-tinted picture of his deceased mother. “The sari belonged to my mother, who was the first person to know that I was gay. When I was 12, she told me to be proud of who I was. She passed away a few days later. Since this march was a special occasion, I decided to wear this sari and pay a tribute to the first person who supported me,” he said.
Participants had come from all over the country and abroad. For Nina, Nived and Divya, all of them students, this was their first ever pride march. Sporting a rainbow-coloured cape, Nina, who is studying in the UK, said, “People are so friendly. It seems like a safe space in a homophobic world.” Nived added, “You feel comfortable and finally, find a place where you can fit in, while being yourself.”
Venkatesh, hailing from Kolkata, made a pitstop in the city, to participate in the march. “This is the ninth march I am attending. Section 377 needs to go. We are not a minority.
We need the same rights as heterosexuals,” said the 25-year-old activist.
Highlighting on the infringement of rights due to Section 377, Koninika Roy, Advocacy Manager at The Humsafar Trust, said, “This section is being misused and abused by the police and government for violence against the community. While drafting policies, the government must include members from the community. Without such participation, well-meaning initiatives can cause more harm than good.” Dr Dileepan, another participant, said that families should be supportive. “I am happy to say that I am gay and my family has accepted it. The first problem people face is a lack of acceptance. There is also a lot of sexual abuse, which do not come to light. Basically, the government and authorities treat people from LGBTQ community as animals or criminals – I am neither. I am a human being,” he said, passionately.
Keerthi, who identifies as a transgender, highlighted the urgent need for awareness. “Everyone, at all levels, should be aware of the problems faced by the community. We need more people from other communities participating in marches like this. It should become a majoritarian movement,” she said.
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