Colours of pride light up Dibrugarh streets as city marks 4th Queer Pride Parade

Dibrugarh, Nov 3: The streets of the city here came alive on Saturday with colour, music, and celebration as the LGBTQIA+ community held the fourth Dibrugarh Queer Pride Parade along Mancotta Road, from Chowkidinghee to the Old Government High School field, under the theme “Reclaim, Resist and Reignite.”

Organized by the Dibrugarh Pride Committee, a queer youth-led volunteer initiative, the parade saw enthusiastic participation from members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Marchers carrying rainbow flags and banners danced to the beat of drums, embodying the spirit of freedom, self-expression, and solidarity that Pride represents.

The term LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual, encompassing a diverse spectrum of sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. The parade served not only as a celebration of diversity but also as a call for equality, visibility, and acceptance in society.

Speaking on the occasion, Pinky Biswash, queer activist and co-founder of the Dibrugarh Pride Committee, said that the event was a reaffirmation of the community’s ongoing struggle for dignity and inclusion. “The purpose of Pride is to reclaim our spaces, resist discrimination and prejudice, and reignite the collective spirit of courage, solidarity, and love,” Biswash said.

Reflecting on India’s legal history, Biswash noted that Pride remains a symbol of defiance against 157 years of criminalization faced by queer people under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial-era law imposed by the British and repealed by the Supreme Court in 2018. “Pride is not just about celebration, it is a declaration of survival,” she added. “It is a fight for the right to live, love, learn, work, belong, and exist freely as equal citizens of this country.”

By

Staff Correspondent