By Lipi Mehta:
“Hum nahin hai apraadhi, humein chahiye azaadi!” (We are not criminals, we want freedom!)
Amidst cries for equality and freedom, the annual Mumbai Queer Azaadi March took off from August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai yesterday and saw hundreds of people participating. It started with an open mic where people could come and share their stories of growing up queer, accepting themselves, the challenges they faced, and more. The director of the film ‘Aligarh’, Hansal Mehta, along with actors Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkumar Rao, also spoke to the participants of the march and showed solidarity. The film, that is based on the life of a homosexual professor has recently got an ‘A’ certificate by the Censor Board, a move that has been widely criticised.
As the march flagged off, there was a festive atmosphere in the air with the main demand as that of abolishing Section 377 from the IPC. There was also some very jubilant dancing as participants were hopeful after the Supreme Court’s move to revisit Section 377 with a 5-judge bench.
The march saw over 7000 participants, from within the LGBT+ community, as well as straight allies. According to a report by Times of India, “There were families, NGO workers, activists, and even a nun who attended to support equal rights.”
In a unique collaboration, Humsafar trust, one of the largest NGOs working for LGBT+ rights in the country, and also fundamental in organising the march each year, took over Youth Ki Awaaz’s Instagram account to bring live updates from the parade which was all about #MaanKiBaat. Check it out:
A photo posted by Youth Ki Awaaz (@youthkiawaaz) on
A photo posted by Youth Ki Awaaz (@youthkiawaaz) on
A photo posted by Youth Ki Awaaz (@youthkiawaaz) on
A photo posted by Youth Ki Awaaz (@youthkiawaaz) on
A photo posted by Youth Ki Awaaz (@youthkiawaaz) on
A photo posted by Youth Ki Awaaz (@youthkiawaaz) on
A photo posted by Youth Ki Awaaz (@youthkiawaaz) on
Photos by Pratik Dave.
