In India, Pride has increasingly become a symbol of visibility — rainbows, parades, and gimmicky slogans that flood our social media feeds and streets. But beyond the vibrant displays lies a much deeper, personal journey for queer persons across the country.
Each LGBTQIA+ individual exists at the intersection of multiple identities and their unique environments, which inform their mind, and dictate their challenges and lived experiences.
So, what does Pride truly mean to those who live with the joy and burden of their identities each day in a country where LGBTQIA+ rights remain fragile? This Pride Month, we pass the mic on to queer people across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum as they delve into what Pride means to them.
Protest, performance, and power
Paridhi, a 23-year-old trans woman and drag artist from New Delhi, articulates Pride as both a celebration and a confrontation. “It’s glitter and glamour, yes but it’s also resilience, rage, softness, and survival,” she poses.
Growing up, Paridhi felt immense societal pressure to conform. “I grew up in a society that taught me to be silent about who I am. I was expected to shrink, to conform, to disappear. But I chose to dance instead — literally,” she shares. Paridhi began her drag journey at just 16. “Whacker Cracker was born out of pure instinct and rebellion; there wasn’t a blueprint, just a desire to express,” she reveals. Her drag persona became a transformative force. “Through drag, performance, and art, I found not just self-expression but also self-acceptance. Whacker Cracker, my drag persona, became my superhero. She walks into a room before I do, demanding space, laughter, and love.”
For Paridhi, Pride is an act of reclaiming space. “Pride, to me, is claiming space where none was offered. It’s standing tall in my heels even when my legs shake. It’s being visibly trans in a world that often wants us erased,” she passionately declares. The 23-year-old also finds joy in the thriving queer community, “It’s the joy of seeing queer love, queer art, queer resistance all thriving, loud and unapologetic.”
However, Paridhi also views Pride as a reminder of ongoing struggles. “Pride also reminds me of our unfinished work: the trans folks still struggling for access to healthcare, shelter, or safety; the queer kids hiding who they are at home. Pride isn’t just a party; it’s a promise to them, and myself, that I will continue fighting, performing, and showing up,” she explains.
As she prepares for “Super Queen”, India’s first drag musical, Paridhi carries this deep sense of Pride onto the stage. “Every twirl, every dip, every line spoken it’s all soaked in the spirit of defiance and joy.” She reiterates, “Pride is protest. Pride is performance. Pride is power.”
A quiet, continuous revolution
Sumit Nath, a queer boy from Kolkata, navigating life with hydro uretero nephrosis in a traditionally conservative family, shares his profound journey. “My body, my walk, my voice — they’ve all been judged. In my childhood, I was bullied simply because I didn’t behave like a so-called `alpha male.` I spent years questioning myself, my orientation, trying to `fix` what didn’t need fixing. But guess what? There was nothing wrong with me — the problem was with a society that fears anything it doesn’t understand,” he recounts.
The year 2020 marked a turning point for Nath. “The silence of the pandemic gave me time to explore, to unlearn, to discover the wide spectrum of gender and sexual identities. That year, I found my truth. And, when I came out in college, I was fortunate to find acceptance. That acceptance wasn’t just kindness — it was power. It helped me build my voice,” he explains.
For Nath, the meaning of Pride has evolved beyond mere visibility. “What does Pride mean to me now? It’s not just about being seen — it’s about seeing yourself fully, loving the person in the mirror, and choosing to grow no matter what. Pride isn’t just a parade. It’s in standing tall when the world expects you to shrink. It’s in choosing your dreams over their expectations. Pride is building a life that aligns with your truth. It’s focusing on your career, your health, your environment, and the betterment of society. I believe pride also lies in sustainability — in taking care of the earth while taking care of ourselves,” he asserts.
Nath also emphasises the importance of self-independence. “Pride is also about self-independence. You have to feed yourself — emotionally, physically, and financially. That’s where the strength lies,” he states.
Despite facing heartbreaks, depression, and darkness, Nath finds pride in healing. “Healing myself — without losing my empathy — is also pride. Self-reliance is my Pride. No one’s going to hand you anything — not love, not respect, not survival. You’ve got to earn it, protect it, and keep moving forward,” he asserts. The Kolkata native sees immense pride in overcoming adversity, “When people who once mocked you start admiring your growth — that’s Pride. When you rise after heartbreak, depression, and loneliness — that’s Pride. Healing is not weak; it’s revolutionary.”
He believes that the essence of Pride extends beyond the queer community. “Pride, to me, should not be limited to queer identities alone. Pride isn’t just for queer people. It’s for anyone who has fought battles in silence, who has cried behind closed doors, who has stood back up after falling. Every single person carries a private war — and winning that, even quietly, is the loudest form of Pride,” he observes.
Beyond the parades, towards true unity
“Pride for India`s diverse LGBTQIA+ community means being themselves—showing up proudly in their identity and celebrating their queerness,” says Rohan Palve, poet, teacher and founder of the collective LGBTQIA+ Nashik. “It`s about resisting all challenges of society, progressing through them, and radiating with the rainbow of proudness, happiness, self-recognition, and self-acceptance,” he adds.
Palve, who identifies as gay, notes the common association of Pride with parades and parties but emphasises a deeper meaning. “Pride is usually synonymous with the Pride Parade, pre-Pride activities, and after-Pride parties. But for me, it`s a whole lot more,” he emphatically shares.
For the Nashik local, authentic Pride signifies unity within the community. He envisions, “A time when the community comes together and unites—at least those who are out.” He’s critical of the current state of Pride celebrations, “Numerous queer celebrities attend heavily publicised events during Pride, and leading influencers work only with other popular figures rather than contacting those who lack exposure.” The 30-year-old yearns for an end to such exclusivity, advocating, “Real Pride will be when this is no longer the case.”
He also highlights the issue of internal judgment, urging a change in how people befriend others based on a certain look, lifestyle, or income. “Pride will be actual when individuals participate in Pride events without fear of being judged based on their attire, personality, or looks. Pride will be when we are together as a community, no matter what background, and join in pure spirit,” he shares.
Palve’s understanding of Pride began by reading about the history of the Stonewall Riots. “That was the first time I found out about the word and was hungry to learn more. My knowledge about Pride has developed a lot since then,” he recounts, realising, “Pride isn`t merely celebration or festivities—it`s a far larger word.”
A self-developed quote, “`I`m proud of who I am,`” became central to his journey, emerging from his experiences of facing rejection, including from within the community itself, due to his appearance or personality. As a writer, Palve actively applies this understanding, teaching numerous community members, “Pride is so much more than the online and event iterations they see.” He attempts to help them tap into the real meaning of Pride. Palve asserts, “Pride is not a rainbow experience. It`s a way of living, how you treat people, and how you hold space for yourself and your identity. And that`s the Pride that I`m standing for.”
Survival, hope, refusing to be invisible
For Vivek Mohan, a genderqueer gay parent and author, Pride is deeply intertwined with his journey of self-discovery and resilience. “My path was never a smooth journey, but rather a patchwork of self-denial, wrong turns, painful lessons, and ultimately, hard-won acceptance of my true self,” he reveals.
Today, Mohan lives openly. “I stand in my truth: I am a genderqueer gay person, a parent to a wonderful five-year-old son, and a partner to Shahir, the love of my life.” He notes the complexity of his identity. “Even writing this sentence — acknowledging both my queerness and my role as a parent — may sound contradictory or confusing to many. Sadly, that confusion exists even within parts of the LGBTQIA+ community, where I’ve faced mocking and bullying for the choices life led me to make,” he shares.
The criminalisation of his existence by Section 377 deeply impacted his youth, making it easier to deny his feelings than confront them. This pressure led him to attempt to conform, including a heterosexual marriage and becoming a parent. “For years, I clung to the hope that I might be bisexual, trying to fit into a more `acceptable` box. I entered a heterosexual marriage and became a parent, believing I could make it work — or that this would somehow make my life easier to explain. However, the truth has a way of resurfacing,” he shares.
At 30, he came out as gay, and later embraced his genderqueer identity. “After years of emotional struggle and self-exploration, I came out — first to myself, then to the world — as gay. And as I continued to understand my identity, I came to embrace that I am also genderqueer. My relationship with gender is fluid and expansive, and today, I finally feel at home in my skin. I have grieved the version of life I thought I `should` live and embraced the one I was meant to live,” he affirms.
Mohan now lives openly with his partner and son, supported by a chosen family, yet he maintains a delicate balance between visibility and safety. “I still navigate a complex web of identities — sometimes performing different versions of myself depending on the space or the people I’m around. It’s not about being discreet or ashamed; it’s about preserving safety and mental peace in a world where LGBTQIA+ rights remain fragile,” he explains.
For him, Pride holds profound significance: “Pride means survival. It means hope. It means refusing to be invisible.” He acknowledges the progress since Section 377, but emphasises, “There is still so much further to go.” His deepest aspiration is a powerful vision of Pride, “My greatest dream today is simple, yet powerful: to marry the man I love, and to live fully and joyfully as a family — with dignity, rights, and without fear.” He passionately hopes, “No child will ever again have to endure the confusion, fear, or shame that I once carried.”
Ultimately, Mohan defines Pride as, “The freedom to live out loud — to say, unapologetically: this is who I am. It’s about rising above hate and ignorance. It’s about building a world where love in all its forms is not just accepted but is celebrated.” His commitment remains firm, “Until then, I will keep living — and loving — out loud. And with every step forward, I remain proud of who I am, and of the family I have built.”