On Sunday, January 27, Sikkim witnessed its first edition of Queer Pride Parade in the capital city of Gangtok. Members and supporters of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQI) community actively participated. All they demanded is the acceptance of people from this community in the society.
The parade was taken out by Gangtok-based Rainbow Hills Association (RHA) in association with Darjeeling-based Miitjyu Society and has the participants from Sikkim, neighboring hills and Bhutan, reported north-east-news.
Carrying a banner, placards, the members and supporters started the parade from Deorali, walked along the National Highway up to Hospital Dara and then down to Paljor Stadium, and finally, it ended at Fish Pond.
While talking to media persons, RHA co-founder Tshering Wangchuk Lepcha mentioned that the recently formed RHA has been working for the welfare of LGBTQI members, also working as a bridge between LGBTQI and the society by creating mass awareness for social acceptance.
“This is the first ever Queer Pride Parade in the State to create awareness among the people of the society that we are also human being and everyone should accept us. We have won the law, but we have to win the society. So, I would like to request the people to help them to come out and to express their identity,” he said.
The rally was organized to sensitize and make people aware about the issue, said a Sikkim University research scholar, Lhamu Dukpa to north-east news. She further added that this will act as a catalyst to bring transformation from the grassroots level.
Apart from that, the founder of Darjeeling-based Miitjyu Society, Lakpa Tamang also mentioned that the main objective to conduct a parade was to create mass awareness in the society and that this was the first step with the hope that LGBTQI members would able to come out with such initiative.
Once the families start accepting them, the societies will automatically accept them, he added.
People participated in the parade in hope to bring a positive change in the society. Don’t you feel if Acceptance and Equality are part of your diet plan for life, the world will become much more beautiful for you and for others?