First-ever gay pride parade in state draws over hundred

The Pride March,which was held in Surat and organised by the Gujarat unit of LGBT community and Forum Foundation,an NGO from Vadodara,was a first of its kind in the state.

Clad in colourful clothes — mini-skirts,pants,and funky costumes — the participants came together to express their pride and joy. Several participants also wore masks to hide their identity.

Under police protection,the march started from New Civil Court with participants holding banners and playing garba and Bollywood music. The participants were also seen dancing and dancing to the tune of garba on the road.

This was an unusual experience for the people of Surat,who had never witnessed such a march before. People came out of their homes at some of the traffic junctions to watch the march. After walking for almost 2 km,the march culminated at Kargil Chowk,Piplod.

Later,all the participants thanked each other and left their separate ways.

The march was attended by around 25 participants from Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The rest were from New Delhi,Bangalore and other cities.

The participants were employees of multi-national companies,MBA graduates,and even television actors.

The erstwhile prince of Rajpipla,Manvendra Sinh Gohil,who is considered the face of the LGBT community in the state,did not attend the march due to some prior engagement.

Gohil,however,sent his best wishes for the march.