It's one event in the year that makes society sit up and take notice of the LGBT community and though this is what the queer groups have been fighting for, they are not putting their money where their mouth is
It's one event in the year that makes society sit up and take notice of the LGBT community and though this is what the queer groups have been fighting for, they are not putting their money where their mouth is.
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| Open about it: Queer Azaadi March is the biggest gay parade in the country. Representation pic |
On Saturday, the Queer Azaadi March, which is the biggest annual gay parade, is happening in Mumbai and though the city does not have its own such event, there seems to be no enthusiasm to join the parade either.
Unlike last year, when a large number of people from the city participated in the march, only a handful are planning to attend this year, said people from the community.
Of the few who are attending is the co-founder of Birds of a Feather, Apphia K, who will also participate in a poetry reading session. "I am going to read poetry on the open mic night organised by Queer Ink a night before and the next day I'll take part in the parade. Some of my friends are coming from Pune, but again it's not fixed," she said.
Gay activist Sagar said that he was not sure if he would go but had heard that just over 25 people were to attend from the city. There are at least 3,500 people who have declared they are gay openly or through NGO intervention.
Bindhu Madhav Khire, president of Samapathik Trust, which runs a helpline for gay men, said he would not be attending the gay parade. "We have a deadline and have to finish projects in a few days," he said.
Zameer Kamble, a gay playwright who teaches at the University of Pune, also confirmed that he would not be going to attend the gay parade. "I don't know of anyone else attending except Apphia. She held a party last week and a few people signed up but that's about it.
