Rainbows and Freedom

I attended my first Queer Fest in Delhi last year on 2nd June. This is in celebration of SC judgment to repeal section 377. The High Court rejected that argument to stay the law, saying that “moral indignation, howsoever strong, is not a valid basis for overriding individuals’ fundamental rights of dignity and privacy”. Well what i saw there was a real celebration-there were the colors or rainbows, there was music, drums and poetry, and of course there was pride. it was hard not to get caught up in it. i understood how important it was and what a feat it was for many to stand there and celebrate their sexuality and gender. What hit me was the closing comment from one of the organizers who requested the crowd to hold 2 minutes of silence for all those who had lost their lives in this struggles. it clicked in my mind that there is no fight for freedom without blood shed. Even one which is essentially a fight to love someone. Behind all the celebration was a long struggle involving sweat, tears heartaches and blood. How hard must it be for someone from a rural background to love someone? or someone who does not come from the upper income brackets? How does there struggle or freedom get reflected? the gathering of people there were mostly from upper middle class sections of the society. Where we assume the education, exposure to multi-cultures, higher incomes, may provide some additional insulation that the poorer or illiterate do not have. That is not to say that the struggles of those gathered there was any less. No, not at all. Every inch of that victory deserved celebration. i was just wondering how might the maid from slums, or the dhobi or the driver or the widow on the ghats of banaras celebrate their freedom.

The next day, the newspaper was splashed with colorful rainbow pictures of the pride. It reflected a victory well earned. But somehow, it seems very un-encompassing to me. Maybe eventually, and i really do hope so, there will be stories about those who live in the margins of the marginalized. maybe that will be the test of how deep the acceptance of 'love is love' is penetrating our world; how much it is rubbing and creating sparks and frictions of new kinds of society were we love who ever we choose, with consent and without fear.