Mumbai: Rainbow colours everywhere mark pride march’s 15 years

Discord among different queer rights organisations seemed to have clouded the otherwise flamboyant rainbow of the pride march held in the city on Saturday The first LGBTQIA pride to be held after the twoyear pandemic lull saw fewer attendees than anticipated with around 2000 colourfully dressed people taking to the streets This year Color Positive Foundation had received permission for the march which began at 430 pm from Carter Road and ended at the Carter Road AmphitheatreldquoWe did expect more footfall but are happy that the people who did join brought in so much enthusiasm and positivity to the eventrdquo said Savio Mascarenhas founderdirector of Color Positive FoundationMasceranhas clarified that the low turnout was because other prominent queer rights organisationsmdashHumsafar Trust and QAM decided against joining hands The two organisations took to social media to clarify their disassociation with Saturdayrsquos marchThis year Colour Positive Foundation was given permission to hold the marchldquoThis is a movement for and by people itrsquos not just about organisations In the end we are all working for a similar causerdquo added Masceranhas who is also a member of the Nationalist Congress Partyrsquos NCP state LGBT CellAlso Read Mumbai Amid protests TISS students screen BBC documentary on campusDifferent routes to the same pathWith Saturdayrsquos march the pride parade marked 15 years of its existence in the city It was started off as a protest against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalised gaylesbian sex in 2008However along with a different organisation taking over this year the route of the parade also saw an alteration Previously the march commenced from August Kranti Maidan and ended at Girgaum Chowpatty It was also popular as Queer Azadi March and Mumbai pride marchCiting law and order disturbances in the backdrop of the antiCAA and NRC protests across the city the Gamdevi police had denied permission to the march in January 2020 But a closed event was held in February that year at Azad Maidan without any march on the streets The pandemic soon took over the next two yearsBut it was still a colourful sight to behold on Saturday when community members activists and supporters of the movement joined in colourful dresses holding banners and posters and chanting slogans of freedom and choiceThe march began from Carter Road and ended at Carter Road AmphitheatreMamta Mehta a Sujok Therapist from Kings Circle and LGBTQIA community supporter said ldquoI participated to support my friends from the community and to raise awareness among those who are unkind and unpleasant to the LGBTQIA communityMore acceptance than beforeParag Shinde came from Thane with his group of friends all dressed up as Maharashtrian grooms The grouprsquos agenda was crystal clearmdashthey demanded the legalisation of samesex marriages Holding a placard which read NavraMulga Pahije GroomBoy wanted Shinde said ldquoI appeal to the government to legalise samesex marriages Even we want to get married There should be nothing illegal in thatrdquoChetana Salunkhe and her partner Maan Gaikwad said that times are gradually changing and there is more acceptance for the LGBTQIA people now than it had been in the past few years ldquoIt is pertinent to come out and break the stigma People should be more sensitive and understand the third gender and be aware of pronouns other than heshe and himher We want to be respected like any other individual and donrsquot want people to look at us as if we are weirdrdquo Salunkhe a model actor and choreographer told middayGaikwad added ldquoItrsquos my first pride march with my partner I feel there is more acceptance from the society towards us now as compared to five or six years ago and such pride events have a role to play Even if people donrsquot approve of us they at least have started respecting our space We have come a long wayrdquoBorivlibased interior designer Amey Jadhav has been participating in the pride march for the last six years He said ldquoHere we can dress up as anyone we want and not stay guarded or restricted This is where we can raise our voices and demand inclusivityrdquoBMC School kids collect fundsOn the sidelines of the march seven students from Mohili Village BMC school in Sakinaka were seen selling pride march and rainbow ribbon badges to the attendees as part of a fundraiser ldquoWe want to create awareness about gender sensitivity and inclusivenessrdquo said Satyam Saroj a class IX student