The Gandhinagar Queer Pride Foundation (GQPF) will host the country’s first LGBTQIA cultural festival, ‘Jashn-E-Karwaan,’ in Ahmedabad, on July 2 with performers from all over the country.
The festival will commemorate the history of the queer movement in India while promising a brighter future for the LGBTQIA community.
The festival’s theme is “Remembering Past, Creating Future.” Previously, the GQPF organised pride marches in Gandhinagar.
GQPF founder Rahul Upadhyay stated, “We have been working for this foundation for five years now and we have noticed a positive change in people’s mindset. We organise community meetups every month. We have also started inviting the parents in the meetups too who insist on involving them so that they can make their children’s lives easier.”
When asked why GQPF is hosting the festival, Upadhyay replied, “In our films, gay characters are mostly shown in a very stereotype manner. A gay boy doesn’t flirt with all the boys. We need to normalise this trend. Films or series on OTT platforms are still better as compared to mainstream movies. Actors promote LGBTQ issues only when their films get released. The LGBTQIA community has many talented people who should get a chance. We are trying to give them that chance through ‘Jashn-E-Karwaan’.”
Upadhyay stated that the festival will feature painters, singers, dancers, and actors from Baroda, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, and that attendees can purchase passes online for a small fee.
“Those interested can check our social media pages for more details,” he said.