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This is an archive article published on June 8, 2018

LGBTI community to hold cycle rally from Pune to Mumbai

The bicycle rally will have rainbow flags with the message Acche Swastha ke liye 377 jana hi chahiye (For good health — 377 has to go) tied to them.

Transgender rights, LGBTI community, cycle rally, awareness LGBTI community has organized a cycle rally from Pune to Mumbai.(Express File Photo by Abhinav Saha)

The Sampathik Trust, which organised Pune’s LGBTI Pride March for the eighth consecutive year recently, has planned a bicycle rally from Pune to Mumbai in August to raise awareness about the problems faced by the community.

The bicycle rally will have rainbow flags with the message Acche Swastha ke liye 377 jana hi chahiye (For good health — 377 has to go) tied to them. “We hope members of the LGBTI community will support the rally,” said Bindumadhav Khire, Sampathik Trust coordinator.

‘Swasth Bharat Abhiyan’ is a great idea, and we interpret ‘swasth’ as not only physical health, but also mental health, say gay activists. Mental health problems like depression and low self-esteem are common in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, transgender (LGBTI) community, due to the stigma and social isolation fostered on it because Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code criminalises same-sex intercourse between consenting adults.

According to mental health professionals, IPC Section 377 has a detrimental impact on the mental health of LGBTI community. Khire added,“Section 377 severely impacts the physical and mental well-being of the community as it signals to adult same-sex couples that their expression of love is a crime.” This opens up the community to the possibility of blackmail, he added.

The Indian Psychiatrist Society, in its position statement on same-sex attraction and orientation, states that it “recognises the difficulties they (LGBT) face are a significant cause of their distress and calls for the provision of adequate mental health support”.

Health professionals and activists have also raised concerns that enforcement of Section 377 could adversely contribute to pushing sexual infections underground, making risky sexual practices go unnoticed and unaddressed, Khire said. While the Pride March has support from several NGOs and women’s organisations, the Indian Psychiatric Society said it also supports the need to decriminalise same-sex sexual behaviour and to recognise LGBT rights to include human, civil and political rights.

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.   ... Read More


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