Indian Cities Celebrate Pride

[ccharles000]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/06/062908india.htm

(New Delhi) Men wore sparkling saris, women wore rainbow boas and hundreds of people chanted for gay rights in three Indian cities Sunday in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply conservative country where homosexual acts are illegal.

Gay rights supporters took to the streets of Calcutta, Bangalore and New Delhi to call for an end to discrimination and push for acceptance in a society where intolerance is widespread.

"This is a national coming-out party," said Alok Gupta, a lawyer from Mumbai, as he stood among several hundred activists in New Delhi. "This is a simple thing: We are seeking the right to love."

While small groups have marched in the eastern city of Calcutta in recent years, Sunday's events were the first gay pride parades in Bangalore and New Delhi. Several hundred people turned out at each of the three events.

[mitchtv]

1. Well good for them!

Very brave indeed. as long as American Gays are not being outsourced , I think it's great

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. takes a lot of courage to do this in india

:applause:

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3. I saw a small, kind of humble India expats entourage in the NY parade yesterday, and

I waved and smiled, because I know it's very daring for them, but it's important. :)

It's hard to do it here in the US among your own community, and I can't imagine how much harder it is to do it in INDIA.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. so you probably saw me, my brother and Lisa.

They were marching with SALGA. I was the section leader, running up and down with my walkie-talkie.

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5. OMG! I wish I had known. Did you see me smile and wave?

;) I actually didn't see SALGA per se, maybe because I wasn't looking closely - I remember the white van and also the Gay Community Center's group, which seemed esp. large.