Your first Pride walk can be nerve-wracking, especially if you are new to the city and know absolutely no one. This was the situation with me, but I was equally determined to attend it, not knowing when my next opportunity would come. Well, thank god for Pravritti that I had some people to walk with, or else I probably wouldn’t have gone for Pride. For those of you who don’t know what Pravritti is, it is a group, more like a safe space, for the queer people across all the IITs of the country. I spoke to these people for the first time that day but we bonded so naturally, it really did not feel like we had just met. That is one of the things Pride is about, go around and meet new people(probably your exes too) without any fear of judgement whatsoever. Honestly, that part terrified me the most because I can’t help but think of what others will think about me. What if they judge me? What if they don’t like me? People were so easily approachable that I could not help but let my guard down. The overthinking, the fear of judgement, these negative thoughts just faded away into the background. It was just a bunch of beautiful people walking together to celebrate love in all its forms, what was there to fear?

Also, Pride fashion is at a completely different level. People were pulling off saris with such aplomb in the sweltering heat, it was commendable. I could see blue and pink(colours of the bisexual flag) jumpsuits, bright tight-fitting floral shirts, rainbow raincoats and much more, all under the radius of 2km. The beauty of all of this was that they were carrying themselves with such confidence, it was hard not to get mesmerized, or rather, inspired by it. I learnt that one of the ways to strike up a conversation with the people in Pride is to compliment them. I just wanted to compliment every person in that Pride march because every single one of them was beautiful in their own way, but I obviously stopped myself from doing that, thinking that it would come across as creepy. I was wrong, as usual. I got the cutest reactions and in return, I received some compliments too. What warmed my heart was how genuine everything was. People were not faking it, they actually did mean everything they were saying. It’s because each and every member of the community knows what one goes through as a queer person in a country like India, and sometimes this is the least you can do to show your immense love and support for them, to show them that they are not alone in this struggle and to make them feel proud of who they are.

It was truly amazing to meet and walk alongside such kind-hearted, brave and beautiful human-beings. I could literally feel myself surrounded by this intense positive energy for the entire duration of the walk. I felt empowered, and yet vulnerable, excited yet terrified. But all in all, it was an overwhelming experience. Overwhelming is the right word to describe my first pride experience. And I know that not everyone supports the LGBTQ+ community, but I really do wish that everyone, or at least the people that are part of the community as well as it’s straight allies, get to experience the magic of just being their true selves at least once in their lifetime.