Rainbow colours fill Hyderabad streets as pride walk returns after three years

The Supreme Court of India in September 2018 had struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a British-era law that penalised all sexual acts that are “against the order of nature.”

“The name Swabhimana Yatra resonates with self-respect. We wanted it to be a localised march so people from all sections could join,” Tashi Choedup, a transgender activist as well as a practising Buddhist, told South First.

The march was held almost a month after the Satrangi Mela, a queer festival,  in Hyderabad on 15 October. The festival brought together entrepreneurs and artists, including some from the LGBTQIA community.

‘I am gay, that’s okay, I am lesbian, that’s okay!’

The three-kilometer march — comprising mostly youngsters, a few children and some elderly — started from Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Bagh Lingampally, a commercial and residential neighbourhood, and ended at the Dharna Chowk in Kavadiguda.

Hundreds of people participated in the pride walk in Hyderabad on Sunday, 13 November (Ajay Tomar/South First).

Residents watched the march from roadsides and balconies as the march passed through the RTC X Road, Gandhi Nagar, and Ashok Nagar.

Participants danced to drum beats, while others held placards and banners. Differently-abled members of the community joined in on their two-wheelers.

Some of them held rainbow-coloured flags, the proud banners of the LGBTQIA+ movement.

They raised slogans, “I am gay and that’s okay. I am lesbian and that’s okay. I am bi-sexual and that’s okay, I am a hijra (transgender) and that’s okay”, I am polyamorous and that’s okay,  and their demand, “Humko kya chahiye  — aazadi (What we want is freedom), stop homophobia”

Placards reading “Love only knows equality”, “Pride not prejudice”, “Keep calm and love lesbian”, and others were also on display.

“This is a family for me. A non-bilingual extended family. I would like to see youngsters taking this march ahead in the coming years”, Jayant aka Jojo, one of the organisers, told South First.

He added that the motive of the march was to directly and indirectly sensitise the society towards homosexual people.

“Just now we told policewomen about our cause and what are trans men and women,” he added.

#Pride2022 #PRIDE #LGBT #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA pic.twitter.com/Mm77lBbn1N

— Ajay Tomar (@ajaytomarasks) November 13, 2022

Parents join the march

Transgenders from across Telangana joined the march. Dance performances, songs, poetry recital, and sharing of personal experiences followed the march.

Parents of those who had come out of the closet, too, attended the event (Ajay Tomar/South First).

Performers included drag queens Patruni Sastry (Hyderabad’s first) and Khemaya aka Ayan Patra (Odisha’s first).

Meanwhile, Mukunda Mala, a woman who runs a parents’ association called ‘Queer Bandhu’, spoke of the need for transparency at home.

“I accepted my child as a queer person, and so should the other parents when their children open up to them. Parents need to understand that queer people are also part of the society. Now, the government has also legalised homosexuality,” Mala, who claimed to be a regular at Pride Parades since 2012, told South First.

As many as 15 parents are part of her organisation from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, she added.

Akshay Patange, who was watching the march, favoured holding such events. “They should happen more since our democracy envisages an inclusive society,” he told South First.