gaylaxy
PATH TO FREEDOM Tracking down the LGBT movement in India
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Society wasn't so easily available. Thus, Bombay Dost became the Dost of many a troubled souls. However, due to lack of advertising support and paucity of funds, the publication was on this side of the world too, and the rights that we were deprived of suspended in 2002.
he struggle has been a long one…The case dragged for 8 years…But alas, the sun shone
were finally bestowed. The citizens of the country could finally live a free life, devoid of fear, harassment and criminalisation of love. Gaylaxy traces back the arduous journey of this fight. Early Ripples
Even in its limited capacity, Bombay Dost had succeeded in what it had set out to achieve. Apart from disseminating information regarding HIV/AIDS and addressing LGBT issues, it had kindled the fire and shown the path to the community. Another major development that cannot be ignored is the release of Deepa Mehta's film 'Fire' in 1997. The film depicted intimate relationship between two married women and evoked sharp criticism and violent protests from right- wing Hindu organizations. It was probably the first attempt from mainstream Bollywood at dealing with the topic sensibly.
The earliest attempts at the need of a voice for the community can be traced back to 1990, when Bombay DostIndia's first registered LGBT magazine, was launched. Though it was a hush- hush affair, with limited copies and underground circulation, it touched the lives of many who lacked a platform to express themselves, or understand themselves. It is significant to note that it was the preinternet era, and information over Pride Marches & Internet topics considered taboo in Indian The seeds of a movement had been
January 2010
sown, and the first ever Gay Pride Parade was held in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1999. It was organized as a “Friendship Walk” by the Integration Society; where a small group walked through the market streets of Kolkata handing out flowers to onlookers, and was later christened as 'The Rainbow Festival'. It has been an annual event since then. Later in 2008, Delhi, Bangalore and Puducherry too held their first Pride Marches. Mumbai too joined in, with Queer Azadi March in August 2008. The role of internet, which arrived in India in mid 1990's cannot be ignored either. Free access to unlimited information while sitting in the comforts of your home along with the plethora of chat sites and instant messengers meant that people could network more easily, and support one another without the fear of raids and harassment from the police. The role of Indian
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