Everyone has a favourite colour but does that mean the other colours do not matter? Would you be willing to live in a unicolour world, even if it was immersed in your favourite? Of course, not! Because there’s nothing special about the usual blue sky. The real marvel is when all the different colours come together to beautifully form a rainbow. And on Sunday, this rainbow arched high and proud over Mumbai during the Mumbai Pride March 2018!
The Mumbai Pride Month, which began on January 5th, saw the LGBTQI community come together to share in a series of events celebrating themselves, from movie screenings to street performances and even some rainbow kite flying.
And yesterday, February 4th, saw a fitting grand finale to the Pride Month with the Mumbai Pride March 2018, where thousands of members of the LGBTQI community and their supporters marched together, some in magnificent costumes and makeup and everyone wearing pride on their sleeve.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BexmtR6DrkZ/?tagged=mumbaipride
As they marched across the streets of South Mumbai, this determined bunch had one slogan on their minds: Section 377 Quit India.
The movement was inspired from Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement against the British, and in a symbolic gesture, it even began from the very same August Kranti Maidan, where Gandhiji has flagged off the original protest. The March ended at Girgaum Chowpatty.
With the Supreme Court’s decision to take Section 377, which criminalises homosexuality or any ‘sex against the order of nature’, under judicial review, the need to make the voices of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex members of the society has become all the more crucial.
The Pride March was a vibrant display of solidarity for this very cause and saw supporters put their most creative foot forward, in terms of costumes, slogans and some quirky and bold posters. Here’s a glimpse!
1. Why so many borders between us and equality?
2. Section 377 is a cage and we’re asking for freedom!
3. The air was rife with slogans that had a touch of the original Quit India Movement. Here’s a video.
4. Looks like Gotham sent their best! The Joker’s message is a powerful one.
5. This excellent Game of Thrones crossover got everyone ringing the “Shame” bell at Article 377! Are you watching this, PM?
6. When it’s about love, age no bar!
💜#MumbaiPride pic.twitter.com/T3PZFGiSmF
— Lady Chatterji 🌂 (@shuchatterji) February 3, 2018
7. When you want to be heard, you’ve got to make your message stand out. And this posters with the right amount of quirk and gravitas, do just that.
8. United we stand….
9. Whoever you are, it’s okay. What a strong message this video sends!
“That’s OKAY!” #MumbaiPride2018 @MumbaiPride @yaariyan_lgbtq @TheQuint pic.twitter.com/ib3dWnlGPR
— Pallavi Prasad (@pallaviprsd) February 3, 2018
10. Decked up in their Sunday best for the Mumbai Pride March!
11. Gay? Straight? Equal.
12. No one can tell you who you ought to like. Period.
13. Now that’s some food for thought!
14. And some more!
15. It’s all about awareness and being open to ideologies that are different from one’s own.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BexdWsWDfek/?tagged=mumbaipride2018
16. Now that’s a brand we all ought to wear!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BexWXrVDFbP/?tagged=mumbaipride
17. Gotta love the word play, right?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BevsBbmgx5p/?tagged=mumbaipride2018
18. We’re here for some Mum-BI love, y’all!
19. These cuties made a cameo too, in full support. Try saying no to those faces!
20. The only victory that matters!
The message of the Mumbai Pride March 2018 was love. The result had to be amazing! Here’s hoping the rainbow finally gets the free reign to arch across Indian skies!