Pride Parade

Delhi Queer Pride arranged two events in 2023, the potluck picnic and the main event, the crème de la crème, the show of the year, the event everyone would be talking about: The Pride Parade. 

On Sunday, a significant turnout of Delhi residents attended the Delhi Queer Pride. Due to COVID-19 limitations, the event was finally held after a two-year hiatus.

In the midst of dhol beats, songs of hope, creative posters, chants calling for freedom of choice, and a lot of color, the march made its way from Barakhamba Road to Jantar Mantar.

The pride, which began as a yearly celebration in 2008, has witnessed an increase in participation over time and is viewed as a celebration of the queer community and a protest for its rights. The parade took place on the Eighth of January, and it spanned from Barakhamba road metro station to Jantar Mantar. The road was closed down, and the decorations were in place. There were forty volunteers, and many photographers and videographers there to document this monumental event. The expected attendance was already pretty high, but the outcome was far more than anyone had even imagined. A whopping 13000+ people had come to raise their flags, and their voices for the cause, and it was beautiful. 

The event began at 2 in the afternoon, badges were given out, faces were painted, and banners were raised, as the event was ready to take off. This event, like the last one, was also very well structured, as the parade happened in different sections. The front section held the Delhi Queer Pride banner, as they led the chant of “azadi” or independence, independence from this war for rights, from oppression, and from the judgment of the people. 

The middle section followed suit with the chants, but were a little ways behind the front section in order to avoid cameras. The parade had a very strict rule about consent before photography, as the fight was to normalize LGBTQIA+ community, it clearly wasn’t yet, so a lot of people were still closeted, from their families, their friends, their colleagues, peers, et cetera to avoid societal backlash. Plus, there were many big-name newspapers and TV channels broadcasting the parade, which meant consent was all the more important.

The third section was the talent section. People at the far back, or standing besides the parade as it went on were those who had glammed themselves up to showcase their beauty for the same. Many incredible outfits could be seen, and all of it was a slap at society’s heteronormative ideas. 

I got the chance to meet a lot more new people, talk to them, and participate in the event. While marching, I got the chance to catch up with the people I had already met in the potluck, make new friends, and get more comfortable in a space where everyone was welcome. I attended the event with one of my closest friends, who belongs to the community, herself. For this blog, I asked her how she felt after the parade, and the response was heartwarming, to say the least. 

“How was your experience at the pride parade?”

“It felt like home, it was truly, absolutely marvelous. Everything there was so amazing, and it did not take long for that tapestry of colors to become my comfort space”

I also asked Abhinav, a volunteer at Pride, about his thoughts about the event

"Honestly, I was volunteering for the noble cause of pride along DQP. And, it was such a great experience. As a member, you stay with your friends, enjoy the vibe but as a volunteer, I got to be the part of pride as a whole, I was overlooking at every aspect of the pride. And that my friend, was satisfying!"

The pride parade, an event that colored the boring, gray Delhi roads with a splash of the rainbow, gave a similar experience to everyone, including myself. It truly was the exact definition of “everyone, no matter who they are, are welcome here” 

The parade stopped at the Jantar Mantar, and a stage was set up there, for the participants that volunteered earlier, to perform. The dance performances were beautiful, and the singing was fantastic. 

It is always better to shine in a canopy of colors, than to live a life beige. 

Leke rahenge, Azaadi.