Mumbai's Queer Azaadi March swells with pride

It was Neil Martis' first Pride march on Saturday in Mumbai, and he decided to shun the mask. The Malad resident came out to his parents after the reading down of Section 377 by the Supreme Court last year and decided he has no need to hide his identity – or orientation.

The financial capital's first Queer Azaadi March since the monumental judgment was also its largest, with over 25,000 participants marching an hour longer than usual. Last year, around 15,000 people participated, estimate organisers. Raju, who lives at Grant Road, through which the parade has been passing for almost a decade, says, "This is undoubtedly the biggest rally I have seen in many years." Urmi Jadhav, a transgender activist, says there was a similar burgeoning response when Delhi High Court read down Section 377 in 2009.

Instead of masks, which were synonymous with the parade in the years past, selfies were the new norm. A fact not missed by Vikram Doctor, an organiser of Gay Bombay, one of the city's earliest queer groups. "Do you notice the masks are gone? Instead, many of them are clicking selfies! There's no hiding anymore," he said.

"The SC judgment has had a major impact, a friend come out of the closet after 25 years of being in a relationship!" said Ashok Row Kavi, the founder of Humsafar Trust and one of the first gay activists.

Though Martis's mother hasn't yet accepted his sexuality completely yet, many more parents were seen supporting their children on Saturday. "Earlier, we would walk alone or in a small group," says Arundhati Sanyal.

"But this year, we are a huge group as the Supreme Court judgment has helped many parents to come out of the closet too and accept their children." Sanyal was marching under the banner of Sweekar, a support group comprising parents of LGBTQ persons.

Manu, a lesbian who is yet to come out to her parents, has been emboldened by the top court's judgment. She has decided to disclose her sexuality to her family within a year.

The lifting of the label of criminality from private activities has empowered groups to conduct sensitization programmes. Queer Doctors, comprising undergraduate MBBS students, held one such programme in a medical college in Mumbai.

"If doctors are sensitized," said Zubin Driver, a student, "we will be able to spread the awareness and sensitivity to other people in society as we interact with people at a larger scale. Any doctor who says homosexuality can be treated is a fraud – we want everyone to know this." Lisa Nova Jena, a drag queen from Delhi, said she had come to represent her community.

The two-hour walk from the historic August Kranti March was marked this year by slogans and banners seeking equal rights for adoption and other issues considered fundamental for heterosexual individuals.

Pune couple – Amit Gokhale and Sameer Samudra – who got married in the US marched for equal rights of marriage and adoption. "I still feel like a second class citizen," said Samudra. A group called Humsaya also demanded the same. "We have only won one battle; there are many other hurdles to overcome," said its director Mangesh Manjrekar.