Highlights

  • 14th Delhi Queer Pride Parade
  • Over 2000 people attended the parade
  • Concerns raised over restrictive laws

Latest news

Dominique Pelicot sentenced to 20 years in landmark French mass rape case

Dominique Pelicot sentenced to 20 years in landmark French mass rape case

PM Modi speaks to King Charles, reaffirms India-UK strategic partnership

PM Modi speaks to King Charles, reaffirms India-UK strategic partnership

Omar Abdullah meets Amit Shah, discusses J&K's statehood restoration

Omar Abdullah meets Amit Shah, discusses J&K's statehood restoration

Unprecedented fracas on Parliament premises, 2 BJP MPs injured; NDA, Congress file police complaints

Unprecedented fracas on Parliament premises, 2 BJP MPs injured; NDA, Congress file police complaints

Palestinians say six killed in Israeli West Bank operations

Palestinians say six killed in Israeli West Bank operations

Around 70 Hindu pilgrims arrive in Pak from India to perform religious rituals at Katas Raj temples

Around 70 Hindu pilgrims arrive in Pak from India to perform religious rituals at Katas Raj temples

Delhi Elections: MCD passes proposal to release Rs 25.35 crore for preparations

Delhi Elections: MCD passes proposal to release Rs 25.35 crore for preparations

Global stocks struggle amid inflation, economic fears: December 19, 2024 analysis

Global stocks struggle amid inflation, economic fears: December 19, 2024 analysis

14th Delhi Queer Pride Parade: thousands attend pride march, raise concerns over laws

Dancing to drums and music, the participants walked for more than three hours to Jantar Mantar, holding banners reading “Equality for all” and “Queer and proud" slogans.

14th Delhi Queer Pride Parade: thousands attend pride march, raise concerns over laws

More than 2,000 people took part in a gay pride event in New Delhi on Sunday, waving rainbow flags and multicoloured balloons as they celebrated sexual diversity in India but also raised concerns over the country's restrictive laws.

Dancing to drums and music, the participants walked for more than two hours to the Jantar Mantar area near India’s Parliament. They held banners reading “Equality for all” and “Queer and proud.”

The annual event comes after India’s top court refused to legalize same-sex marriages in an October ruling that disappointed campaigners for LGBTQ+ rights in the world’s most populous country.

“It’s not about marriage. It's about equality. Everybody should have the same right because that’s what our constitution says,” said Noor Enayat, one of the volunteers organizing this year’s event.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court’s five-judge bench heard 21 petitions that sought to legalize same-sex marriage in India.

The justices called for steps to raise awareness among the public about LGBTQ+ identity and to establish hotlines and safe houses for those in the community who are facing violence.

They also urged the state to make sure same-sex couples don’t face harassment or discrimination in accessing basic needs, like opening a joint bank account but stopped short of granting legal recognition to same-sex unions.

Legal rights for LGBTQ+ people in India have been expanding over the past decade, mostly as a result of the Supreme Court’s intervention.

Also watch: Explained: why are Mizoram churches praying for change in counting date

In 2018, the top court struck down a colonial-era law that had made gay sex punishable by up to 10 years in prison and expanded constitutional rights for the gay community. The decision was seen as a historic victory for LGBTQ+ rights.

Despite this progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government resisted the legal recognition of same-sex marriage and rejected several petitions in favor. Some religious groups, too, had opposed same-sex unions, saying they went against Indian culture.

Homosexuality has long carried a stigma in India’s traditional society, even though there has been a shift in attitudes toward same-sex couples in recent years. India now has openly gay celebrities and some high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues.

According to a Pew survey, acceptance of homosexuality in India increased by 22 percentage points to 37% between 2013 and 2019. But same-sex couples often face harassment in many Indian communities, whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian.

ADVERTISEMENT

Up Next

14th Delhi Queer Pride Parade: thousands attend pride march, raise concerns over laws

14th Delhi Queer Pride Parade: thousands attend pride march, raise concerns over laws

Omar Abdullah meets Amit Shah, discusses J&K's statehood restoration

Omar Abdullah meets Amit Shah, discusses J&K's statehood restoration

Unprecedented fracas on Parliament premises, 2 BJP MPs injured; NDA, Congress file police complaints

Unprecedented fracas on Parliament premises, 2 BJP MPs injured; NDA, Congress file police complaints

Around 70 Hindu pilgrims arrive in Pak from India to perform religious rituals at Katas Raj temples

Around 70 Hindu pilgrims arrive in Pak from India to perform religious rituals at Katas Raj temples

Delhi Elections: MCD passes proposal to release Rs 25.35 crore for preparations

Delhi Elections: MCD passes proposal to release Rs 25.35 crore for preparations

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviews J&K security situation

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviews J&K security situation

ADVERTISEMENT

editorji-whatsApp

More videos

BJP MPs admitted in RML Hospital ICU with head injuries after scuffle with opposition

BJP MPs admitted in RML Hospital ICU with head injuries after scuffle with opposition

Parliament Protest Melee: Congress claims Kharge pushed, Rahul manhandled

Parliament Protest Melee: Congress claims Kharge pushed, Rahul manhandled

Mumbai boat tragedy: Ferry ‘Neel Kamal’ was packed beyond capacity, say police

Mumbai boat tragedy: Ferry ‘Neel Kamal’ was packed beyond capacity, say police

Indian Educationist Arun Kapur honoured with Bhutan’s prestigious royal honour ‘Dasho’

Indian Educationist Arun Kapur honoured with Bhutan’s prestigious royal honour ‘Dasho’

Uttar Pradesh: Six killed in Shahjahanpur road accident

Uttar Pradesh: Six killed in Shahjahanpur road accident

Arvind Kejriwal urges NDA allies to reconsider support for BJP over Amit Shah’s Ambedkar remark

Arvind Kejriwal urges NDA allies to reconsider support for BJP over Amit Shah’s Ambedkar remark

Andhra High Court upholds lesbian couple’s right to live together, parents told not to ‘interfere’

Andhra High Court upholds lesbian couple’s right to live together, parents told not to ‘interfere’

FIR against Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal MP for power theft

FIR against Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal MP for power theft

Mumbai boat tragedy: Life jackets made mandatory for rides from Gateway of India

Mumbai boat tragedy: Life jackets made mandatory for rides from Gateway of India

Eknath Shinde pays tribute to RSS founder, highlights Sangh's nation-building role

Eknath Shinde pays tribute to RSS founder, highlights Sangh's nation-building role

Editorji Technologies Pvt. Ltd. © 2022 All Rights Reserved.