A protester holding the rainbow flag in Mumbai (Picture by: Punit Reddy)

News

Mumbai Stands Up Against SC Verdict

By Tanika Godbole

December 18, 2013

The Supreme Court’s verdict on homosexuality was met with anger all over the world. Mumbai was one of the cities that showed its fury against this. Thousands gathered at Maheshwari Udyan, Matunga in Mumbai on December 16, 2013 to raise their voices against the injustice. This was a part of the ‘Global Day of Rage’ movement, which happened in almost two dozen cities like Kolkata, Bangalore, Delhi, San Francisco, Berlin, Toronto, etc. It was not just the city’s LGBT community that gathered; several others who wanted to show their solidarity to safeguard the human rights of the community were also present. The cause was also supported by celebrities like Nandita Das, Anushka Manchanda, Purab Kohli, Zoya Akhtar, Prateik Babbar and a few others who also participated in the rally. Signs of ‘No Going Back’, ‘My life my choice my partner, with consent. So what?’, ‘Equality Love Freedom’, ‘Criminal by birth, proud by choice’ and many others decorated the streets on the Sundayafternoon. The SC ruling may have been a setback for LGBT rights in India, but the people of Mumbai expressed their opinion on the matter loudly and clearly through this protest.