Vibrant Chennai Pride March 2023 Symbolises Hope For An Inclusive Society

Hundreds of people from the LGBTQIA+ community and allies of the community participated in the Chennai Pride March 2023 on Sunday, June 25, in Chennai’s Egmore. Organised by the Tamil Nadu Rainbow Coalition, the Chennai Rainbow Pride and Self-Respect Walk 2023 was filled with high-octane dance and slogans. The march began at Raqjarathinam Stadium in Egmore and continued until Langs Garden Road. 

It is my first time participating in Chennai Pride March since it was first held in the city 15 years ago. I might have joined the march to cover the event, but a few minutes in, I found my soul wanting to be an ally and not just a reporter. Walking nearly two kilometres would have been a draining experience on any other day, but marching for a cause with the community was an amazing experience.

Words wouldn’t suffice to express how beautiful the experience was, and having made some lovely friends, I will definitely be participating in the march every year. I’ve never felt so comfortable in a space full of people that I didn’t know, and that made me realise how inclusive and respectful the LGBTQIA+ community is.

Chennai Pride March 2023

Muzwar, an IT professional who is still in the closet to his family, is participating in the pride march for the first time. "As this is my first time participating in the pride march, I was overwhelmed by the number of people gathered together in support of the community. I was extremely happy and excited, but I was also a little conscious of the media coverage since my family doesn’t know yet."

He emphasised the need for a pride march in a country like India, where many people are still unaware of the different sexual orientations and gender identities. "Given that In the very street we marched in, most people wouldn’t have been aware of the LGBTQIA+ community, this kind of event for and by the queer community is very much needed to let people know that we exist. Only when we do more events like this will we be able to spread awareness and create a more inclusive society. The Pride March is a way to show that we are also a huge community and normalise queerness in society," he added.

Participating in her fourth Pride march, Shardha, who identifies herself as bisexual and is a screenplay writer in the film industry, said that, for her, the Pride march was a great way for people to understand what the spectrum is all about and to look at the people on the spectrum as any heterosexual person. "It’s normal and natural. There's nothing unnatural about love. Especially for people who are closeted, the pride march is a chance to see other people from the community; they don’t have to fear facing the world alone. Because all these people here would have been closeted at some point before, and they would have had someone else to hold that hand. All you have to do is be that hand for someone else," she noted.

Clad in a black shirt and proudly waving the pride flag, Vignesh Shankar, who identifies himself as cis-bi, expressed that he wasn’t prepared for all the recognition he was receiving but was extremely glad. "I’m super happy to be representing Chennai pride with everyone else here. It’s so nice to see how many police personnel have been deployed here to ensure our safety. I’m hoping that we move forward to a more inclusive society that destigmatizes the LGBTQIA+ community," said the medical research professional. To Vignesh, Pride meant not being ashamed anymore.

"For the younger generation out there who need a safer space, there should be a cultural shift, and it seems like we’re all headed towards that. We’re all marching towards a beautiful future as we speak. I’m hoping that this continues and keeps souring as it does now." As someone who was too scared to come out during his younger days, Vignesh encouraged the people who are still in the closet to never be ashamed of themselves.

"The world can sometimes make you feel like you deserve the shame that they put on you, but you don't; you’re beautiful just because you exist, and there should be no shame in identity."

A queer couple, Priyesh and Ajith Aishu, proudly walking hand in hand, shared that life was challenging with a set of people who weren’t accepting of their relationship and gender identity.

"But I’m proud of who I am. This is me; I’m gay, and this is my partner. We’re unapologetically being ourselves, and we’re extremely happy to be a part of the pride march." Said Priyesh. 

Insisting on the need to legalise same-sex marriage, he added, "We would like to enjoy the same privileges and rights as heterosexual people. We hope that same-sex marriages will be legalised in the country soon."

One of the soulful sights that I witnessed at the march was two sets of parents from the Sweekar Rainbow Community who were participating in the Chennai Pride, wanting to create a safe and inclusive society. Devika, the mother of two children belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community, said, "There’s no such thing as they/them. It’s only "US". So till we get to us, we’ll have to keep doing this."

Sandhya, an IT professional who participated in the Pride March as an ally said, "Although I don’t identify myself with the community, I'm here to support my friends. All we need is some amount of tolerance and respect in the heterosexual community to be open to others as well. It’s simple; we just need to be empathetic towards one another.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court, who presided over a same-sex orientation case involving two women, also participated in the Chennai Pride march to extend his support to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Views expressed by the author are their own

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