http://newsneteast.com/patnas-pride-march-small-step-big-dreams/
Patna’s Pride March: small step big dreams NewsNET Desk <http://newsneteast.com/author/newsnetdesk/> | July 3, 2012 *Today India observes the third anniversary of the reading down of IPC Section 377. Last weekend, Patna experienced its first public ‘gay’ event.* * * On the 29th of June, Friday, there was a blink-and-you miss it parade of 20 people who came out in Patna’s first ever ‘Gay Pride Parade’ which was about a kilometer long. In the hot summer sun, the beating of a dholak and music made passers by stop for a moment. One may have mistaken it for one of those rowdier rustic wedding processions, looking at the laundas or ‘dancing she-males’. But then there were masks and banners which proclaimed Gay Pride. It started from the busy Gandhi Maidan and went up to the Dak Bungalow crossing. The group behind this effort was ‘Project Pehchan’ which is functioning in four towns: Aurangabad, Sasaram, Bhabua, and Jehanabad. The participants were there to tell Patna that they would no longer remain invisible. As one told a local videographer: “It’s not whether I call myself gay, queer, or transgender. It’s about my right to live my life happily, and with dignity. Not to be teased and called filthy names by others.”<http://newsneteast.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Rainbow_flag_and_blue_skies.jpg> The Parade was uniquely local in flavor with the kothis and laundas dancing and beating drums. It is hoped that the next time an event like this is organized, press releases are sent to news organizations, and some inclusive thinking goes into this effort, and at least some updates placed around on facebook. While it is heartening to note that this the rainbow is becoming visible, the event has been ignored by the English Language Press. The date was Friday, and the parade took place in the blazing sun at noon. Not a good time to organize. The local ‘cable channels’ did have some footage, later uploaded on u-tube. *NEWSNET salutes the courage and the spunk of these grassroots activists. * Here’s a u-tube link on the event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmtp3bbXv18
