They marched with pride

BANGALORE: With a motive to increase the acceptance of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders in the society, Coalition for the Sexual Minority Rights (CSMR), along with NGOs, organised ‘Pride March’ in the city on Sunday.Hundreds of activists participated in the  Pride March, that started from Chiklalbagh and converged at the Town Hall. “Pride celebrations is an opportunity to mark the local, national, social and political changes globally that have improved the lives of sexual minorities. We have been of our rights. We are even deprived of citizenship. At the moment,  Section 377 is no longer a threat. A welfare board has been set-up for Hijras in the state and several schemes like pension, housing, and voter ID cards are being discussed. Many people of the same sex are leading a happy life together,” said Sowmya Reddy, a queer activist.Veena Shivalingaiah, a transgender, and first from the community to contest for the BBMP elections said, “There is a need for amendments in the law to consider us also as human beings. Through pride march aim to educate the public. We are proud to be what we are. People from all over the country have come here to take part in the Pride rally.”This year, the Pride March demanded the State government to deliver the promises it made to support sexual minorities, to include sexual minorities in the backward class by implementing the Backward class Commission’s recommendations and to provide free medical services for sexual reassignment surgery operations.