The biggest, most funtabulous Pride Parade

Allah! My voice is hoarse and every part of my body is crying. No, I was not lathi-charged or anything in any protest. I was screaming and dancing at the Pride March on Friday. The lachchak of my kamar has caused some serious sprain and has resonated with thousands who participated in one of the biggest pride marches of the country — Queer Azaadi Mumbai pride march. 

For the first time ever, the ramp leading to the stage was disabled-friendly and not wobbly like it used to be. For the first time ever, there was a sign language interpreter on stage to assist our friends who were hearing impaired. For the first time ever, we had student doctors marching with their surgical aprons. For the first time ever, we had young mothers who were marching with banners stating they will accept their children for who they are and not force sexuality on their child. For the first time ever, to the best of my knowledge, an educational institute other than IIT Bombay, had participated in the Queer Azaadi Mumbai Pride Parade with their college banner.

We thank Thadomal Shahani Educational Group for standing up for equality and extending the word ‘inclusive’ in their motto ‘inclusive education’ to students and staff of all genders and sexualities. Thank you IIT Bombay for holding the queer flag and setting the right examples and thank you Namma Pride, Bangalore for being an inspiration for us to emulate in making the amchi Mumbai pride as disable-friendly as we could. Thank you for all who made it possible. 

There were students from various colleges who had participated sans their college banners as just friends for equality. There are some things that never change. Such is the undying support from people like Pradeep Divgikar. Sushant Divgikar, his son and my fellow columnist here, may be the known celebrated face of the LGBT community, but the true hero, is his father, Pradeep Divgikar, who has attended every possible event. This is special because it is usually mothers who come out in support more than fathers. Thank you. 

Thank you to the Mumbai police, who have always been so supportive and the organisers of the whooping 20+ events. Every event had a message to give and attempted to bring a smile to someone’s face or uplift a person with the knowledge required. I personally was involved with the Amazing Q Hunt, which had one of its tasks of meeting daughters of sex workers in my NGO Kranti, and then taking the video message of the girls to their mothers and relatives in Kamathipura, the red-light district along with 5 kilos of wheat. My sex worker friends were overwhelmed by the support and also very willingly posed for photographs with the contestants. They later invited me to have dal rice with them and what a meal it was. Each of the 28 contestants had a ball of a time as they traversed through the high roads and tiny lanes of Bombay spreading the message of love. Such is Bombay, such is it’s pride. 

Kharach, unparalleled.

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