We’re here, we’re queer: Flash mob’s message

Around 6.30 pm on April 8, a group of youngsters, dressed in smart casuals, froze at different locations in the busy lanes of Hauz Khas village in New Delhi. Carrying placards that declared their sexual orientations in bold, the flash mob had an objective — to break stereotypes about the LGBTQ community. Participants of the flash mob connected with the audience with ease, answered their queries and addressed the curiosity they have to deal with on a daily basis.

Volunteers of a non-profit organisation, Those In Need, put the event together along with Scruff, an LGBTQ social network. The aim was to spread the message that the LGBTQ community is very much a part of mainstream society. The participants carried placards with messages meant to pierce the myopic vision with which society looks at them.

Some of the banners read messages such as, “I am gay. I love sports”, “I am Lesbian. I don’t hate men”, “I am homosexual. And it’s not a choice”, “I am queer. And I am monogamous” among others. Some others took a jab at misconceptions about the community, eg. “I am Queer. Yoga can’t cure me” and “I am homosexual. Me getting intimate doesn’t cause earthquakes”. Abhishek Saini, co-founder, Those In Need, said, “The idea behind the flash mob is to initiate a positive change towards the community for a truly inclusive society, which is not really far away.”