June is marked and celebrated throughout the world as ‘Pride Month’. It is dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQ community and their struggle against discrimination and social ostracisation. It is celebrated to raise awareness to free the society from social pre-set prejudices. Many countries organise month-long activities and initiatives that culminate into a loud crescendo of the ‘Gay Pride Parade’, usually held in the end of June. “Still, a big chunk of people don’t know about us, the misconceptions are hilarious, but it also reflects upon how little knowledge people have about us. They don’t know what we are fighting for,” a gay man told.
In the US, the ‘Gay Pride Month’ has its roots in the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The Stonewall Riots, or as many call it the ‘Stonewall Uprising’, was a series of extemporaneous and sporadic demonstrations held by the LGBTQ community in and around New York.
The demonstrations were a direct response to a raid conducted by the police on the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich village, on June 28, 1969. The Inn had quite a colourful past, right from being owned by a Genovese Crime family to finally becoming a watering hole for gay men in New York. The Inn became quite popular for gay men, and it was one of the few places that allowed gay people to dance. The LGBTQ+ community in America has achieved remarkable progress since Stonewall. Historic Supreme Court rulings in recent years have struck down regressive laws, affirmed the right to marriage equality, and secured workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in every State and Territory. ‘Pride Month’ was first celebrated in the US in 2000 when then US President Bill Clinton issued a presidential proclamation designating the month. As the calendar turns to June, LGBTQIA+ communities and their allies across the world mark Pride Month.
Joining thousands across the globe, on Tuesday, international star Priyanka Chopra Jonas too celebrated the occasion via a social media post. The UNICEF goodwill ambassador posted a happy sun-kissed video of her on Instagram in support of the LGBTQA+ community. She wrote, “Love is….Take a video sharing what love means to YOU and tag me so I can see! #HappyPrideMonth,” followed by pride-themed heart emojis. Numerous celebs and fans poured love into the comment section. YouTuber Lilly Singh wrote, “Yayayayya!! Thanks Didi x.” Screenwriter Mushtaq Sheikh and actor Zareen Khan dropped a bunch of emojis. The post has already garnered more than 2 lakh likes.
In a significant outcome for the LGBTQIA community, the Madras High Court on Monday (June 7, 2021) issued directions for protecting them from harassment by authorities and other major stakeholders in society. Bollywood has been through a lot, while there are times when things or themes were misguidedly portrayed in films, there are also films that have dealt with the subject matter with utmost sincerity, sensitivity and maturity. While there were misguided portrayals in Dostana (2008) or Mastizaade (2016) or so many others where it’s used as a tool for comic relief and mockery, there’s also Fire (1998) or Aligarh (2016) or Margarita with a Straw (2015), that have dealt with the subject matter with a more thoughtful, unfeigned and mature approach. However, last year, when Ayushmann Khurrana starred in romantic comedy, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan(SMZS )about a gay couple, it was lapped up by the audiences and danced its way to the box office. And many feel that having known stars helps attract audiences. The 2019 movie which starred Sonam Kapoor and Regina Cassandra, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga was also a romantic-comedy, which revolved around the theme of LGBTQ+, focusing on a lesbian couple.
“Earlier, no big star was willing to do these films, so access remained niche. It was heartening to see that Ayushmann did the film. It showed the community in a very positive light,” said Dhaliwal, the screenwriter of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, adding, “What’s happening now is that the conversation is coming into the ‘commercial cinema’. That’s where things are really encouraging because this cinema has a wider reach. ELKDTAL had stars like Sonam Kapoor and Anil Kapoor and it helped.”
Filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee had cast a transgender artiste, Shree Ghatak, in his web short film, Season’s Greetings. To this Mukherjee said, “Indian cinema hasn’t done justice to the LGBT community. What we’ve to realise is that the community isn’t just garish, loud people… there’s clichéd representation in films, which provide comic relief to the homophobic lot. People appreciated me for casting Shree Ghatak. She was treated at par on the sets and had everything that any other actor would get.”
Many countries have their own respective pride months, which highlight a significant development for the LGBTQ community. Russia celebrates their pride month in May, as that was the month when the country decriminalised homosexuality in 1993. The month-long celebrations are an affirmation to the long-shunned LGBTQ community. Picnics, marches, public events and initiatives are held for the community and also to help create awareness about them.
