Vadodara hosts queer 'Pride Parade'

The city on Sunday witnessed the queer 'Pride Parade' in which over 1,000 members of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex (LGBTI) community took part. "We are calling it Vadodara LGBTQ Sammaan Yatra. This parade is being held to push for the equal rights and dignity for lesbians, bi-sexuals, and LGBTQ community. This is to tell the society that we all have a right to live with dignity," Kartika, a member of Forum Foundation, said while speaking to ANI.

"If the Supreme Court had struck down Section 377 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalised same-sex relations, then the society should also support us," added Kartika. Parade-goers marched through the street with rainbow flags and placards, with messages in support of the LGBTQ community. Some of the placards read -- Dad, We Need To Talk and What Is Normal Anyway?

The participants dressed in colours of the rainbow were dancing to the beats of drums and singing music to celebrate their identity. Last year on September 6, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by former Chief Justice Dipak Misra, comprising Justices DY Chandrachud, Rohinton Fali Nariman, A M Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra, announced the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Section 377 of the IPC is a law that criminalised homosexuality, punishable for a jail term of 10 years. The law punished "carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal" and thus had bigger implications for same-sex relationships. 

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