“Kashish represents all that is right with art and culture,” said De about the annual Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film festival, South Asia’s and India’s biggest and only mainstream LGBT film festival. She stressed on the importance of the arts in bringing about change in social attitudes towards the LGBT community and the crucial role played by Kashish. “December 2013 was a dark month for the LGBT community (with the Supreme Court recriminalising homosexuality. But there are three numbers that the community should not be afraid of – 3-7-7. Section 377 is not something to be scared of or should be allowed to intimidate. I am sure 2014 will be positive and bring about change.”
Her message to the queer community was: “The rainbow does not ask for anybody’s permission before it goes across the sky (neither should the LGBT community).”
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