Is our city ready for a gay parade?

Updated on: 30 June,2009 09:15 AM IST |
Debarati Palit |

Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai hosted a gay parade on Sunday, but Pune with its young and cosmopolitan crowd is lagging far behind.

Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai hosted a gay parade on Sunday, but Pune with its young and cosmopolitan crowd is lagging far behind. There is not a single nightclub devoted to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) community. MiD DAY spoke to 55 young Puneites between the ages of 20 and 30 on the issue of LGBT rights and whether they would participate in LGBT parades.

Interestingly, 70 per cent believed that the time has come for the city to accept the sexuality and lifestyle of those who wish to lead their lives on their own terms.

Pranab Vora echoed Nirmalkar and was enthusiastic about participating in public parades. In fact, only four youngsters said while they support the cause, they would not participate in a parade. The reasons for those who admitted they do not support homosexuality ranged from "it is not socially acceptable" to "it is illegal."

No parade yet
Commenting on why Pune has not hosted a parade yet, Zameer Kamble, playwright and German-language teacher said, "Many Puneities had participated in last year's parade in Mumbai. There are discussions going on about organising a queer parade in the city.

"However, a major issue is police protection during the parade, as the police do not support us. They harass us because they know that we fear disclosure. On the positive side, the educated youth are becoming more accepting."

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