The Mumbai Queer Pride March will be held this year on Saturday, February 6. Organized by Queer Azaadi Mumbai, a collective of LGBT support groups in Mumbai, the march will follow the same route as last year, commencing at August Kranti Maidan and moving onwards to Lamington Road, Opera House and back to August Kranti Maidan. Participants have been requested to assemble at August Kranti Maidan around 3 pm, with the actual march commencing around 4 pm.
Coming a few days after the Supreme Court is to decide on the curative petition on Section 377, there is anticipation and hope among members of the community. 2015 had seen close to 5,000 participants taking part in the pride march, and the organizers expect a similar footfall this year as well. Mumbai Pride has seen a colourful line up of costumes with many participants at their creative best, expressing their views on homophobia and the repressive Section 377 through innovative dresses, headgear and posters.
The pride march is a culmination of a series of month-long line up of activities conducted by queer support organizations in Mumbai. The organizers wish to dispel the notion that the community is a minuscule minority through this march, which will see a sizeable crowd marching through the old lanes of South Mumbai. As has been seen over the last few years, participants are expected to arrive from all over India and abroad.