Pride Month – Press Note

STRIDE WITH PRIDE 

Celebrating Pride Month June 2020

The month of June holds a lot of importance in the world of LGBTQ Rights. It is the month that was chosen for the Stonewall Rights which was a landmark uprising by the Queer community against the oppression that they have had to face. Over the years, countries continued to celebrate June as the Global Pride Month across the world. It is meant to be a celebration of the Queer Community and a reminder to their oppressors and the power-holders that they strive to be treated as equals and their struggle for the same will continue always. 

In India, we usually see an array of events, activities including the Pride Parade across the country. These events are conducted by LGBTQ activists, members of the Queer community and actively supported by the allies. This year, however, due to the Pandemic and the lack of mobility, the Pride Month has shifted online. Organisations that are inclusive have come together to conduct events, discussions and various other engagements – all of which are now online! It is our way of telling the world that the Pandemic might not allow us to move out of our houses but we must still continue our advocacy for an equal world. 

Red Dot Foundation and The Jimme Foundation have come together for a collaborative project to celebrate and support the LGBTQ communities across the world. The two organisations have always strived towards creating a more just and equal world and are continuing to do so with “Stride With Pride” – our Pride month celebration. The campaign ranges from discussions around spreading awareness in their Knowledge Cafe to reviewing and understanding movies that have LGBTQ representation in their Feminism in Reel Life. Additionally there will be Tweetchats and Instagram Takeovers as well. All these events will engage some of the most renowned activists within this space like Anish Gawande (Founder, PinkList); Sonal Giani (Queer Rights Activist); Sridhar Rangayan (Founder, Kashish Film Festival; Humsafar Trust) and Onir(Film Director). Stride With Pride will engage in dialogues collaboratively with the objective of furthering the agenda of the Queer Community. Throughout the month, we are hoping to have eye-opening conversations around different topics within the Queer space including understanding queer history, analysing the current scenario of the Queer movement, discussing the importance of queer representation within media and sharing the significance of having better allies. 

ElsaMarie D’Silva (Founder & CEO, Red Dot Foundation)

“We are thrilled to partner with The Jimme Foundation during the Pride Month. There can never be enough conversations about gender and LGBTQ+ rights and issues. We are using a variety of ways – films, tweetchats and knowledge cafes – to amplify issues and give it relevant perspective. So do join us #StrideWithPride”

Supreet K Singh (Director & COO, Red Dot Foundation)

“We all have a right to freedom, to be who we are. It’s important to voice our opinion and stand together for gender equality. This Pride month we are partnering with The Jimme Foundation and opening up new platforms for dialogue from films to tweetchats to panel discussions.  Come join us and reclaim your right for every day of the year.”

Harish Iyer (LGBTQ Rights Activist; Co-Founder, The Jimme Foundation)

“Queer people are everywhere. We exist in the forefront, the margins and most importantly in every intersection. We need to be a part of everydayness and a month of dedication is a reminder for what should go on the entire year.”