Queer and proud

But on the second anniversary of the reading down of Section 377 in the Delhi High Court,LGBTI groups find themselves on the brink of “creating history” with an array of events showcasing their talents to queer and straight people in mainstream clubs in Mumbai.

“Celebrations within the LGBTI groups were never illegal,” says Nakul,founder of Salvation Star,an event management company that initiates queer events like Khush Nights in Zenzi,Bandra and Pink Rupee Nights in Twister,Khar. “But mainstream clubs have always been afraid that political parties or the police would come barging through and create trouble.” Ever since the Delhi High Court ruling,however,finding spaces for queer-friendly parties has become less stressful. “Things have gotten better and club owners have become more generous with lending us space,” said Nakul.

The anniversary celebrations began in Zenzi,Bandra on July 1 with a segment of Khush Nights,a queer friendly evening that is also open to straight people. This will be followed by a colourful event called Q-Nights on July 2 in Blue Frog,an event initiated by Ma Faiza,the British-born DJ who has a large fan base that comprises straight and LGBTI followers. The weekend will conclude with Best Of Kashish in Zenzi on Sunday,where 13 award-winning short films from the queer festival,like Elena Undone,will be screened. “Q-Nights will really raise the bar for all queer parties because it is a showcase of the amount of talent in the community,” she said,listing the components of the evening,which will include musicians,comedians,aerialists,a queer market and a drag king and queen contest. “It is historic because it is the first of it’s kind to be done in a place as mainstream as Blue Frog,” she added.

For many people classified as LGBTI,such events are very important in raising awareness levels and members’ confidence in the outside world. “It’s like a group of people living in a dungeon,finally being allowed to come out and breathe fresh air,” said Deepak Kashyap,an educational consultant and psychological counsellor who works with LGBTI people struggling with their identities and orientation. “All they can talk about is how beautiful it is to express their sexuality. It is indeed great to be considered an equal citizen,especially since we were considered criminals in the past,” he added.

With these events,organisers of queer parties hope that more mainstream places will approach them for special queer nights. “We are real people,with talent,intelligence and jobs. The precedent for us now is to raise the bar on the level of content and entertainment we offer and hopefully more clubs will come forward to host us,” said Ma Faiza.