Hundreds of people from across the city participated in the Chennai LGBT Pride Parade on Sunday.
The group gathered outside the Rajarathinam Stadium and began walking through the barricaded and abandoned lanes of South Cooum Road, where people hardly pass by after all the houses and stores in the area were demolished last month.
“The idea of this parade is to create awareness of LGBT rights. But there are hardly people here,” said Rupika, a student and activist.
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However, the crowd seemed to enjoy the colourful parade. They were singing, dancing, taking selfies and bonding with everyone who joined the march and walked together to Langs Garden, Chintadripet.
‘Dysfunctional board’
“It is the first time I am participating in this march. It is so nice to see people from different walks of life come together and commit themselves to this cause, especially in a conservative city like Chennai,” said Maheshwaran, a researcher.
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Delphina, member of Nirangal organisation which works on LGBT rights, said that while Tamil Nadu has been progressive in its approach towards protecting the rights of the community, a lot more needs to be done to strengthen its policies. “For instance, the State Transgender Welfare Board is not functioning. It is important to revive it as it would provide a strong backing to this community,” said Delphina.
“Gay, lesbian or bisexuals are still subjected to hate crimes. Violence has become a part of their daily lives. We are waiting for a day when we don’t have to hold a march to live with pride and dignity,” said Rupika.