On 6/25/08, Lesley E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear all, > > please forward widely to your press contacts in india and abroad. > > thanks, > -lesley > > > > *Press Release on Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi Pride* > > > > For the first time this year Bengaluru and Delhi are joining Kolkata in > marching to celebrate Queer Pride in India. This is a chance for lesbian, > gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and supporters to celebrate > being part of India, but also to protest how the Indian government continues > to treat us as criminals. > > > > In doing so we are connecting with the origins of Pride Marches. Around the > world these take place in June and are treated as colourful occasions for > the GBT people to celebrate. But Pride has a serious origin. It dates back > to the early morning of 29th June 1969 when police in New York raided a > gay bar called the Stonewall Inn. They started questioning and humiliating > the people in the bar, and even made arrests. > > > > This sort of harassment had been going on for years, but for the first time > that night the people in the bar fought back. Lead by the drag queens (men > dressed in women's clothes) the people at Stonewall refused to get bullied > in silence. The police beat people savagely, but the crowd refused to go > away. More people from the LGBT community came to their support and it > became a riot that lasted five days. For the first time the police learned > that LGBT people could defend their rights. > > > > The Stonewall riot became a symbol of LGBT standing up for their basic > human rights. The next year, in June 1970, a march was held in New York, San > Francisco and Los Angeles to commemorate what happened that night. Over the > years, as LGBT people won increasing amounts of recognition of their basic > human rights the Pride marches became more about celebration. In many > countries today Pride is a way of showing how LGBT people live openly and > happily in society. > > > > In India today we are closer to where Pride was when it started in 1970. > LGBT people face a lot of harassment from the police. Lesbians are subject > to violence and even forced to commit suicide by their families. Gay men are > blackmailed by organised rackets that involve members of the police. > Bisexuals are denied the chance to express same sex love and forced into > opposite sex marriages. Transgenders are routinely arrested and raped by the > police. Same sex couples who have lived together for years cannot buy a > house together, have a joint bank account or will their property to each > other without being challenged by their families. > > > > All this is possible because Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code treats > LGBT people as criminals. A case now being heard in the Delhi High Court > calls for this law, which was imposed on us by the British, to be amended so > it no longer applies to consenting adults. This very small change will not > remove all problems for LGBT people, but it will be a vital step towards > affirming that we are equal and accepted citizens of India. > > > > On June 29th LGBT people and their friends, family and supporters in > Bengaluru, Delhi and Kolkata will march in the hope that this change will > come soon. Kolkata first did this in 1999, and every year since 2003. Today > in 2008, Queer Pride goes national as a sign that the time for national > change has come. > > > > > > Contacts and events information: > > > > Bengaluru – Assemble at 2 pm at National College, Basavangudi to march to > Puttana Chetty Town Hall for public meeting at 4 pm. > > Contact: Siddarth - 98450 01168, Rajnish - 98455 65425 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://bengalurupride.googlepages.com/ > > > > Delhi – Assemble at 5.30 pm at Regal Cinema at Connaught Place to march to > Jantar Mantar for celebration, singing, speeches and candlelight vigil. > > Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Kolkata – Assemble at 3 pm at College Square for Rainbow Pride March to > Esplanade East (Metro cinema) for public meeting and media interaction > > Contact: Pawan – [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > This announcement is sent out by the Queer Media Collective, a group of > professional journalists who aim for a more balanced treatment of queer > issues in the Indian media and entertainment industries. For more > information check out http://queermediacollective.wordpress.com/ > > Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > >
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