Awadh Queer Pride parade: All set to walk for Pride!

The stage is set for the eighth edition of the Awadh Queer Pride to be held in Lucknow on Sunday. Held every year in February, a series of events are being organised in the run-up to the parade.

For now, it’s scheduled to start from Saharaganj Mall and via Hazratganj it will culminate at Begum Hazrat Mahal Park. “Last year too we tried the same route but could not get permissions, so we started from Rana Pratap Marg and went to 1090 Crossing. That option remains a back-up option this time too,” says Yaduvendra Singh Darvesh, founder-member of the pride.

Trans activist Amruta Soni, working as technical expert with UP Aids Control Society Technical Society, is participating for the third year in a row. “With events like the Pride parade, the closet population gets motivation to come out in the open and meet and live without fear. Our constitution has beautifully mentioned that all humans have the right to live freely. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender. Besides, it sensitises commoners,” she says.

Last Sunday saw around 50 people participating in the poster-making event held at Lohia Park where paintings, slogans and messages were creatively drawn.

“A day earlier, a gender and mobility meet for trans people was organised by Climate Agenda organisation at a member’s house in Gomti Nagar. Chitrashi, whose gender expression is masculine narrated how auto drivers and fellow commuters were forcing her to share the seat with the driver, saying ‘tum ladke jaise dikhati ho’. Transwoman Niyanti shared how she was almost molested in a bus,” says Anmol, a member.

A transgender registration camp was held at activist Guru Guddan’s Dera in Dali-ganj. “Besides, corporate professional Pramesh Sahani, from Mumbai, gave a talk on inclusion of queer community in the mainstream,” the member adds.

This time, they are expecting 1,000 people. “People from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and a lot of cities from Uttar Pradesh, are coming for the Pride parade. Besides, the queer community members, we have a large number of allies who are our pillar of strength,” adds Darvesh.