The Mumbai Pride march took place on February 3 to raise awareness for queer rights in India. The parade highlighted the October 2023 Supreme Court decision not to legalize same-sex marriage. India’s highest court claimed it didn’t have the power to create law, and passed the responsibility back onto the country’s legislative branch.
The last pride parade in Mumbai, which is home to around 21 million residents, took place in early 2019, at which time 8,000 people attended. The continuation of Pride celebrations was initially halted by the pandemic, and then further complicated by difficulties obtaining police permission for the large scale event, according to Pink News.
Currently in India, LGBTQ+ couples can enter into civil unions with their partners but cannot “claim any legal entitlement to any legal status” according to the Supreme Court. Despite this, the court did issue directions to ensure that LGBTQ+ people are not discriminated against and that housing and mental health services are available to them.
