Lifestyle / Delhi Queer Pride March Disrupts The Status Quo

Delhi Queer Pride March Disrupts The Status Quo

Lifestyle Dec 01, 2015

by Rumnique Nannar

Delhi thronged with people coming together for the Queer Pride Parade on Sunday, where people called out for the government to decriminalize same-sex relationships and strike down Section 377.

It was a parade unlike any other because, after a tension-filled year of debates around intolerance and beef bans, LGBTQI activists and their allies came out to critique the government for its flip-flopping on gay rights. Many of the slogans on placards read "Modiji mere mann ki baat, pride ke saath ek raat,” or "I like my men Beefy!" which directly challenged the moral high horse many of these politicians are on.

^{Photo Credit: Buzzfeed India}

A few days earlier, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely and his predecessor, P. Chidambaram, stated that the Supreme Court should not have reversed the Delhi High Court's order reversing Section 377, which criminalizes gay sex and same-sex relations.

"When millions of people world over are having alternative sexual preferences, it is too late in the day to propound a view that they should be jailed. The Delhi High Court's view appears more acceptable…The court was not dealing with any personal law and was on the issue of order of nature and the Delhi high court has held that it was not an offence. The SC took a very conservative approach on the issue and the judgment needs to be reconsidered," said Jaitely at the Times LitFest.

These comments from both ministers received praise and criticism at the parade, with many opinions divided by the BJP's opposition to gay rights. For instance, BJP Leader Subramanian Swamy tweeted his disapproval at Jaitely's comments with his stinging tweet that Jaitely's statement celebrated a "genetic flaw."

^{Photo Credit: Twitter}

Harish Iyer, a gay rights activist and the famous son of the very accepting mother who posted his marital advertisement looking for a suitable groom, praised Jaitely's bold statement. "Even if his whole party is against homosexuality, this one person's view must be celebrated, because it takes a lot of courage to be a voice of dissent, and as homosexuals we should know that…Jaitley has also expressed this opinion in an interview after the elections last year," said Iyer to Scroll.in.

_{One of the Great Signs at the Parade}
_{Photo Credit: iDiva}

The pride parade started at Barakhamba Road, winding its way down to the Tolstoy Marg and on to the Jantar Mantar. Like with all pride parades with a cause that's still being fought over in the public and in the courts, there was a great sense of celebration in the air. This mood was apparent in the sometimes cheeky and witty signs that people walked around with.

Like this very wise and salient point from this activist:

_{Photo Credit:}_{Buzzfeed India}

There was this witty message:

_{Photo Credit:}_{Buzzfeed India}

And this cheeky chap who had a very meaty message:

_{Photo Credit:}_Instagram

Or this gang of friends who had some fabulous signs:

_{Photo Credit: –}_iDiva

For many activists, one hopeful piece of good news is that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted that he will be moving his bill to Parliament soon. Although there's no strict timeline on when the government will address this bill, there's enough consensus from this huge parade that it's about time India stops denying same-sex couples' and the LGBTQI community's basic human rights.

_{Photo Credit:}_Twitter

_{Main Image Photo Credit:}_{Buzzfeed India}

Rumnique Nannar

Author

Rumnique Nannar is a new journalist with a passion for all things pop culture, film, and art. Rumnique was born in London, with a predilection for devouring English chocolate with her Vogue, ANOKHI, and Glamour magazines in tow. She is currently in her Journalism Masters at UBC. Connect ...

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Delhi Queer Pride March Disrupts The Status Quo

by Rumnique Nannar

Delhi thronged with people coming together for the Queer Pride Parade on Sunday, where people called out for the government to decriminalize same-sex relationships and strike down Section 377.

Rumnique Nannar

COMMENTS

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