City in Gujarat to hold trailblazing first gay celebration this weekend
Baroda is to host its first ever gay pride celebration this weekend.
It is the first event of its kind in the city (also known as Vadodara), and the third in the Indian State of Gujarat, after similar events in Surat and West Bengal in the last year.
Organisers have said in a statement that they hope to ‘provide a platform for LGBT expression, spread awareness about the issue and demand equal rights,’ in a country where gay sex is illegal.
Events on the Saturday (29 November) will include a series of film screenings and a talent show at Vasvik auditorium. The former will take place 11am to 6.30pm and the latter from 7pm to 10pm. The film event will be an offshoot of the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.
The pride march will follow on the Sunday from 4pm to 6pm, from Genda circle to Chakli circle.
The festivities will be in memory of the late gay rights activist Swagat M Shah, who laid the foundations for the festival but died earlier this year.
The first gay pride march in Gujurat took place in Surat last October. Last year also saw the premiere of Meghadhanushya – The Colour of Life, the first film released in the state to focus on gay issues.
The film’s director, former ayuvedic practioner K R Devamani, said at the time: ‘As a doctor, I have seen what gay people go through. I wanted to sensitize society at large.
‘We can keep debating the issues surrounding gay rights, but first we need to accept them as part of our society. They are humans too.’
by Jamie Tabberer
Source – Gay Star News
