P Vatsalya p. vatsalya@ mid- day. com THE Mumbai Pride, organised by a collective called the Queer Azaadi Mumbai ( QAM), had to alter its plan of marching from its traditional meeting point at August Kranti Maidan, because the police denied it permission fearing anti- CAA slogans being raised at the march. LGBTQIA+ folks and allies assembled in hundreds for a solidarity gathering at the Azad Maidan instead.
The disappointment was palpable as Mumbaiu2019s queer community was not allowed to march and interact with people along the way. u201c I think itu2019s a violation of our right, of being able to express ourselves.
I donu2019t like that we are restricted to this chunk of land and there is no engagement with others. It feels like weu2019ve been forced back into boxes and that is repressive. A lot of us fear that this might happen again next year. Whatu2019s important right now is to ensure that it doesnu2019t,u201d said Richa Vashista, a mental health professional and queer rights champion.
The theme of this yearu2019s pride gathering was u2018 bring it onu2019 and people showed up in their assertive best. Colourful crowds started trickling in by 3 pm and soon, the ground was swelling with people. The atmosphere consisted of a blaring yet bold cacophony of speeches and sloganeering by the queer, their parents, and allies. u201c As someone who is a social influencer, it is my duty to stand in solidarity with all people. Of course, this gathering is close to my heart because I am a part of the community. But we should use our privilege to talk about the real problems. For instance, we need to talk about the Trans Act. Our trans sisters have done so much for the betterment of our community. Itu2019s high time we support them. We need to be the change we want to see and thatu2019s why I am here today,u201d said Sushant Divgikar, model and media personality.
The gathering ended with a reading of the Preamble of the Constitution, as people collectively reaffirmed their belief in democratic values.
Hundreds of people showed up at Azad
