What does Pride truly mean to India’s diverse queer voices?

In India Pride has increasingly become a symbol of visibility mdash rainbows parades and gimmicky slogans that flood our social media feeds and streets But beyond the vibrant displays lies a much deeper personal journey for queer persons across the countryEach LGBTQIA individual exists at the intersection of multiple identities and their unique environments which inform their mind and dictate their challenges and lived experiencesSo what does Pride truly mean to those who live with the joy and burden of their identities each day in a country where LGBTQIA rights remain fragile This Pride Month we pass the mic on to queer people across the LGBTQIA spectrum as they delve into what Pride means to themProtest performance and powerParidhi a 23yearold trans woman and drag artist from New Delhi articulates Pride as both a celebration and a confrontation Itrsquos glitter and glamour yes but itrsquos also resilience rage softness and survival she posesGrowing up Paridhi felt immense societal pressure to conform I grew up in a society that taught me to be silent about who I am I was expected to shrink to conform to disappear But I chose to dance instead mdash literally she shares Paridhi began her drag journey at just 16 Whacker Cracker was born out of pure instinct and rebellion there wasnrsquot a blueprint just a desire to express she reveals Her drag persona became a transformative force Through drag performance and art I found not just selfexpression but also selfacceptance Whacker Cracker my drag persona became my superhero She walks into a room before I do demanding space laughter and loveFor Paridhi Pride is an act of reclaiming space Pride to me is claiming space where none was offered Itrsquos standing tall in my heels even when my legs shake Itrsquos being visibly trans in a world that often wants us erased she passionately declares The 23yearold also finds joy in the thriving queer community Itrsquos the joy of seeing queer love queer art queer resistance all thriving loud and unapologeticHowever Paridhi also views Pride as a reminder of ongoing struggles Pride also reminds me of our unfinished work the trans folks still struggling for access to healthcare shelter or safety the queer kids hiding who they are at home Pride isnrsquot just a party itrsquos a promise to them and myself that I will continue fighting performing and showing up she explainsAs she prepares for Super Queenrdquo Indiarsquos first drag musical Paridhi carries this deep sense of Pride onto the stage Every twirl every dip every line spoken itrsquos all soaked in the spirit of defiance and joy She reiterates Pride is protest Pride is performance Pride is powerA quiet continuous revolutionSumit Nath a queer boy from Kolkata navigating life with hydro uretero nephrosis in a traditionally conservative family shares his profound journey My body my walk my voice mdash theyrsquove all been judged In my childhood I was bullied simply because I didnrsquot behave like a socalled alpha male I spent years questioning myself my orientation trying to fix what didnrsquot need fixing But guess what There was nothing wrong with me mdash the problem was with a society that fears anything it doesnrsquot understand he recountsThe year 2020 marked a turning point for Nath The silence of the pandemic gave me time to explore to unlearn to discover the wide spectrum of gender and sexual identities That year I found my truth And when I came out in college I was fortunate to find acceptance That acceptance wasnrsquot just kindness mdash it was power It helped me build my voice he explainsFor Nath the meaning of Pride has evolved beyond mere visibility What does Pride mean to me now Itrsquos not just about being seen mdash itrsquos about seeing yourself fully loving the person in the mirror and choosing to grow no matter what Pride isnrsquot just a parade Itrsquos in standing tall when the world expects you to shrink Itrsquos in choosing your dreams over their expectations Pride is building a life that aligns with your truth Itrsquos focusing on your career your health your environment and the betterment of society I believe pride also lies in sustainability mdash in taking care of the earth while taking care of ourselves he assertsNath also emphasises the importance of selfindependence Pride is also about selfindependence You have to feed yourself mdash emotionally physically and financially Thatrsquos where the strength lies he statesDespite facing heartbreaks depression and darkness Nath finds pride in healing Healing myself mdash without losing my empathy mdash is also pride Selfreliance is my Pride No onersquos going to hand you anything mdash not love not respect not survival Yoursquove got to earn it protect it and keep moving forward he asserts The Kolkata native sees immense pride in overcoming adversity When people who once mocked you start admiring your growth mdash thatrsquos Pride When you rise after heartbreak depression and loneliness mdash thatrsquos Pride Healing is not weak itrsquos revolutionaryHe believes that the essence of Pride extends beyond the queer community Pride to me should not be limited to queer identities alone Pride isnrsquot just for queer people Itrsquos for anyone who has fought battles in silence who has cried behind closed doors who has stood back up after falling Every single person carries a private war mdash and winning that even quietly is the loudest form of Pride he observes Beyond the parades towards true unityPride for Indias diverse LGBTQIA community means being themselvesmdashshowing up proudly in their identity and celebrating their queerness says Rohan Palve poet teacher and founder of the collective LGBTQIA Nashik Its about resisting all challenges of society progressing through them and radiating with the rainbow of proudness happiness selfrecognition and selfacceptancerdquo he addsPalve who identifies as gay notes the common association of Pride with parades and parties but emphasises a deeper meaning Pride is usually synonymous with the Pride Parade prePride activities and afterPride parties But for me its a whole lot more he emphatically sharesFor the Nashik local authentic Pride signifies unity within the community He envisions ldquoA time when the community comes together and unitesmdashat least those who are out Hersquos critical of the current state of Pride celebrations Numerous queer celebrities attend heavily publicised events during Pride and leading influencers work only with other popular figures rather than contacting those who lack exposure The 30yearold yearns for an end to such exclusivity advocating ldquoReal Pride will be when this is no longer the caseHe also highlights the issue of internal judgment urging a change in how people befriend others based on a certain look lifestyle or income Pride will be actual when individuals participate in Pride events without fear of being judged based on their attire personality or looks Pride will be when we are together as a community no matter what background and join in pure spirit he shares Palversquos understanding of Pride began by reading about the history of the Stonewall Riots That was the first time I found out about the word and was hungry to learn more My knowledge about Pride has developed a lot since then he recounts realising Pride isnt merely celebration or festivitiesmdashits a far larger wordA selfdeveloped quote Im proud of who I am became central to his journey emerging from his experiences of facing rejection including from within the community itself due to his appearance or personality As a writer Palve actively applies this understanding teaching numerous community members Pride is so much more than the online and event iterations they see He attempts to help them tap into the real meaning of Pride Palve asserts Pride is not a rainbow experience Its a way of living how you treat people and how you hold space for yourself and your identity And thats the Pride that Im standing forSurvival hope refusing to be invisibleFor Vivek Mohan a genderqueer gay parent and author Pride is deeply intertwined with his journey of selfdiscovery and resilience ldquoMy path was never a smooth journey but rather a patchwork of selfdenial wrong turns painful lessons and ultimately hardwon acceptance of my true self he revealsToday Mohan lives openly I stand in my truth I am a genderqueer gay person a parent to a wonderful fiveyearold son and a partner to Shahir the love of my life He notes the complexity of his identity Even writing this sentence mdash acknowledging both my queerness and my role as a parent mdash may sound contradictory or confusing to many Sadly that confusion exists even within parts of the LGBTQIA community where Irsquove faced mocking and bullying for the choices life led me to makerdquo he sharesThe criminalisation of his existence by Section 377 deeply impacted his youth making it easier to deny his feelings than confront them This pressure led him to attempt to conform including a heterosexual marriage and becoming a parent For years I clung to the hope that I might be bisexual trying to fit into a more acceptable box I entered a heterosexual marriage and became a parent believing I could make it work mdash or that this would somehow make my life easier to explain However the truth has a way of resurfacing he sharesAt 30 he came out as gay and later embraced his genderqueer identity After years of emotional struggle and selfexploration I came out mdash first to myself then to the world mdash as gay And as I continued to understand my identity I came to embrace that I am also genderqueer My relationship with gender is fluid and expansive and today I finally feel at home in my skin I have grieved the version of life I thought I should live and embraced the one I was meant to live he affirmsMohan now lives openly with his partner and son supported by a chosen family yet he maintains a delicate balance between visibility and safety ldquoI still navigate a complex web of identities mdash sometimes performing different versions of myself depending on the space or the people Irsquom around Itrsquos not about being discreet or ashamed itrsquos about preserving safety and mental peace in a world where LGBTQIA rights remain fragile he explainsFor him Pride holds profound significance Pride means survival It means hope It means refusing to be invisible He acknowledges the progress since Section 377 but emphasises There is still so much further to go His deepest aspiration is a powerful vision of Pride My greatest dream today is simple yet powerful to marry the man I love and to live fully and joyfully as a family mdash with dignity rights and without fear He passionately hopes No child will ever again have to endure the confusion fear or shame that I once carriedUltimately Mohan defines Pride as ldquoThe freedom to live out loud mdash to say unapologetically this is who I am Itrsquos about rising above hate and ignorance Itrsquos about building a world where love in all its forms is not just accepted but is celebrated His commitment remains firm Until then I will keep living mdash and loving mdash out loud And with every step forward I remain proud of who I am and of the family I have built