Pride Month: Highlighting the queer community and its struggles for equality

Pride Month is celebrated during the month of June every year worldwide.

In 2022, people from diverse backgrounds in Chennai gathered in Egmore, proudly displaying the Pride Flag and marching together for LGBTQIA+ rights. | Photo Credit: REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Pride Month in India is a time of celebration and advocacy for the queer community. Originating in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 2009, this annual event aims to amplify the community’s causes and give voice to its members. However, it was interrupted in 2020 and 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, people from diverse backgrounds in Chennai gathered in the neighbourhood of Egmore, proudly displaying the Pride Flag and marching together for LGBTQIA+ rights.

All activities during Pride Month, including rallies, marches, and protests, are organised by the Chennai Rainbow Coalition. This collective consists of LGBTQIA+ individuals, supporters, and organisations dedicated to improving the community’s human rights, social standing, and healthcare.

Pride Month brings attention to the ongoing struggles for equality and dignity faced by the LGBTQIA+ community. Despite the decriminalisation of homosexuality through the revocation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, LGBTQIA+ individuals in Tamil Nadu and the rest of India still face many challenges in achieving societal acceptance.

In light of this event, here are a bunch of articles that Frontline has published in recent years addressing various issues affecting India’s LGBTQIA+ community. These articles focus on legal rights, societal struggles, and the community’s place in India’s landscape.

Happy reading.