Way back in early July in the beginning of our adventures in Kolkata, all of the ETAs were invited to march in Kolkata's Rainbow Pride Walk. The Pride Walk has been around in Kolkata for twelve years, and it's the oldest one in India. It serves as a protest to all forms of violence, including girls born or unborn, women of any sexual orientation, and any sexually marginalized people like trans men/women, gay/bisexual people,
Hijras, and
Kothis.
This was such an exciting experience to have in the beginning of our adventures in India for so many reasons. This was my, and I believe a majority of the ETAs' also, first pride march. I never would have guessed that my first march would have taken place in India! Also, it was so nice to be in such an accepting environment. Up until this point, we were used to being constantly stared at on the street. Any one of us would have merited a stare on his or her own, but put us all together and we're quite a sight. In the march, we were certainly stared at because of course we're foreigners, but it was less frequent and far less threatening. All of the people we talked to were nice and really interesting. We even managed to make some of our first local friends, besides our facilitators of course. (The ETAs in every city have a group of facilitators who help us get around and get things done. They helped us go apartment hunting, took us shopping for Indian dress the first time, etc. If you're a prospective ETA, rest assured that these guys are very helpful.)
It was still extremely hot in Kolkata, which I'm sure is apparent from the pictures featuring my extra layer of sweat, but it was absolutely worth it. This is still one of my favorite memories in Kolkata and was absolutely my favorite at the time. It was so exciting to see my new city come to life in a way I hadn't before. It was also one of the first times I felt completely comfortable surrounded by a bunch of strangers. If you're a prospective ETA coming to Kolkata, you must attend the next pride walk! It's only getting bigger, after all.
Unfortunately blogspot isn't the greatest site for displaying many photographs in an aesthetically pleasing way, but I can display them larger this way. Here are some of my favorite photos I took for your viewing pleasure.
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| Me and another Fulbrighter who taught at Diocesan |
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| Some nice guys with awesome face paint |
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| The coolest umbrella I've ever seen. |
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| Making new friends |
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| In case you can't read: "Roses are red/ violets are blue/ homophones, can we vote on your civil rights too??" |
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| This group put on a wedding ceremony during the walk. It received a lot of attention. |
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| "I am out hence I am" |
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| Two of the other ETAs and me close to the end of the march |
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| Did I mention the Communist Rally the walk accidentally interrupted? |
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| Dance party at the end of the walk |
This was such an exciting experience to have in the beginning of our adventures in India for so many reasons. This was my, and I believe a majority of the ETAs' also, first pride march. I never would have guessed that my first march would have taken place in India! Also, it was so nice to be in such an accepting environment. Up until this point, we were used to being constantly stared at on the street. Any one of us would have merited a stare on his or her own, but put us all together and we're quite a sight. In the march, we were certainly stared at because of course we're foreigners, but it was less frequent and far less threatening. All of the people we talked to were nice and really interesting. We even managed to make some of our first local friends, besides our facilitators of course. (The ETAs in every city have a group of facilitators who help us get around and get things done. They helped us go apartment hunting, took us shopping for Indian dress the first time, etc. If you're a prospective ETA, rest assured that these guys are very helpful.)
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