Queer sexualities have been decriminalised and Pride parades are ceremoniously covered by the news media. But can everyone really march with pride? In this episode of Pride & Prejudice, we trace the evolution of Pride from Stonewall Riots in the United States, to NRC-CAA protests in India. Our reporter Suryatapa Mukherjee speaks to Pride organisers from Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Hyderabad and Kolkata. 

Shivakumar is the co-founder of Nestam and has been trying to organise Pride in Visakhapatnam for years. Nuzhat Nasreen Islam is the co-founder of Xomonnoy and she organises Pride in Guwahati. Rudra Kishore Mandal was part of the organising meeting for the first ever Pride walk in India which happened in Kolkata in 1999, and they still organise Pride in Kolkata. Dr. Karthik Bittu has helped organise Pride in various cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi. 

They speak about their experiences with the police, differences in politics within the community and what Pride really is about. 

Additional reading:

Mumbai Pride: Over 50 People Charged With Sedition for Slogans Supporting Sharjeel Imam
Assam NRC: What next for 1.9 million ‘stateless’ Indians?
Citizenship Rights are LGBTQ rights: Thousands gather for Mumbai Pride
Sylvia Rivera’s “Y’all Better Quiet Down" Speech 1973