​Mumbai Pride Parade: Thousands proudly march at Azad Maidan​

​Around 1,800 people including members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies, gathered to participate in Annual Pride Event 2023 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. The event was organised by Color Positive Foundation — a Mumbai-based NGO that works for LGBTQIA+ community and straight allies. Mumbaikars gathered at the venue with placards and banners such as: ‘I like the wine & not the Label‘; ‘We’re here, we’re Queer‘; ‘Trans rights are Human Rights‘; ‘Be you, Be proud‘ and many others. Savio Mascarenhas, founder-director of Colour Positive, said, “June is the International Pride Month so we planned the 2.5 km Pride Parade to begin from the Azad Maidan and go to the Oval Maidan. But permissions were denied a couple of days earlier, so we just walked around inside Azad Maidan in solidarity. Thankfully it didn’t rain during that time! The police and the traffic police were very helpful. It was a big gathering, and we got a lot of support from other groups and allies." Actress Sambhavna Seth, who attended the event and was felicitated at the stage by Savio, said, “I’ve always supported the LGBTQIA + community and I will always be there for them.”