The LGBT community in Chennai has come together to organise various events this June , known as the ‘LGBT Pride month’. They are seeking to create awareness and increase the visibility of the community. As a part of this, the Chennai Pride Parade will be taking place on Sunday at Rajarathinam Stadium, Egmore. The seventh edition of the parade hopes to get the attention of the government by showing pride in their sexuality.
The parade is organised by multiple LGBT activists and for the third time the organisers were denied permission to march at Marina beach or Elliot’s beach. Though this has disappointed the participants and the organisers, they hope to make a difference at least a small one through their parade.Vikranth Prasanna, the founder and chairman of Chennai Dost a support group for LGBT says he is proud to be a part of Chennai Pride Parade for the seventh time this year.
“Since the time the parade began, I have seen a huge difference. This year we are expecting hundreds of people to participate in it,” he says and explains that the parade has played a huge part in boosting his morale, career and life in general. “However, we are disappointed by the police who are not permitting us to march at a venue with a large public presence,” says Vikranth.
Yuvaraj Harish, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, who is out of the closet, has been a part of such parades in various cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Madurai and Bengaluru. “After being a part of so many parades, it is still difficult to accept that we are in a democratic country we are disappointed about the venue, but this is our only hope of showcasing that we are not ashamed of who we are,” says Yuvaraj. Sasha Reddy, a LGBT rights activist says the pride parades organised by the LGBT community is one of the main reasons she has gained confidence in herself.
Such events where people come together has made me believe that I am not alone and that I have a community, and friends I can confide in,” she says and adds that this time they are at a disadvantage when compared to other cities because of the venue.
“This time it is sad that we need to invite people from other cities because the participation of public is very low,” says Sasha.Manoj S Thorat is an IT employee from Pune who is in the city for the Rainbow Queer Film Festival and will also be taking part in the pride parade. “My short film is about a mother who accepts her son’s sexuality, but is unable to accept the fact that he is in love with a Dalit. I have tried to explain the conflict between homosexuality and casteism in our country,” says Manoj who will be participating for the first time in a Chennai Pride parade.
