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Three years since the Supreme Court brought back the draconian Section 377, the LGBTQIA+ movement has only grown stronger.
Now, the Coalition for Sex Workers', Sexual and Sexuality Minorities' Rights (CSMR) is organising the Karnataka Queer Habba and Pride March on Sunday, November 20, in Bengaluru. This year, the march will introduce cabs and wheelchair facilities in order to make it disabled friendly.
The pride march will be held from 2-5 pm on Sunday from Majestic bus station to Bangalore Town Hall. Following the march, there will also be a programme celebrating the community.
“The march will mark the protest against discrimination and violence against the minorities by government and people, and a celebration of diversity within the human race,”said Romal Laisram, who is a member of CSMR.
Romal said that making the pride march disabled friendly cost them a couple of lakhs and that the amount was partially crowdsourced.
“We have tied up with Kickstart Cabs service. We needed about Rs 3.5 lakh to fund it. With crowdsourcing websites like Ketto, we have managed to get about Rs 3 lakh and we are hoping that we get the rest of the Rs 50000,” he said.
Apart from cars and wheelchairs, volunteers who know and understand sign language will also be present at the march.
Madhumitha, an activist who has worked in both disability and with sexual minorities, said, "Already people with disabilities are under a lot of pressure in order to be treated as everyone is in the society. Identifying oneself with one of the sexual minority communities is just more pressure on them. Many succumb to this kind of pressure and live a life with low self-esteem.”
Madhumitha, is also a person with a disability and identifies herself as an ally. She said that the organisers are speaking to many organisations that work with people with disabilities about the march: “We are asking them to join the march in solidarity and to see a more diverse group of people.”