Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai hosted a gay parade on Sunday, but Pune with its young and cosmopolitan crowd is lagging far behind.
Listen to this article
Is our city ready for a gay parade?
x
00:00
Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai hosted a gay parade on Sunday, but Pune with its young and cosmopolitan crowd is lagging far behind. There is not a single nightclub devoted to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender) community. MiD DAY spoke to 55 young Puneites between the ages of 20 and 30 on the issue of LGBT rights and whether they would participate in LGBT parades.
Pranab Vora echoed Nirmalkar and was enthusiastic about participating in public parades. In fact, only four youngsters said while they support the cause, they would not participate in a parade. The reasons for those who admitted they do not support homosexuality ranged from "it is not socially acceptable" to "it is illegal."
No parade yet
Commenting on why Pune has not hosted a parade yet, Zameer Kamble, playwright and German-language teacher said, "Many Puneities had participated in last year's parade in Mumbai. There are discussions going on about organising a queer parade in the city.
"However, a major issue is police protection during the parade, as the police do not support us. They harass us because they know that we fear disclosure. On the positive side, the educated youth are becoming more accepting."
"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels 
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
