It’s June and the colours of Pride are taking over the city. As people around the world celebrate Pride month to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a pivotal moment for the LGBTQIA+ community, closer home, Bengalureans are also planning and participating in queer-friendly events all month long. Back after a pandemic-induced lull, these events aim to create inclusive and safe spaces for people of the community.
A queer-inclusive cafe in the city, Chaifee Cafe, is hosting a myriad of events to mark the entire month. With a focus on indoor activities such as laid-back games night and quiz nights, the aim of the cafe is to create a safe space for their LGBTQIA+ patrons. Arvind Kewalchand, owner of the cafe says, “I wanted to create a space in the city where queer folks can come and just relax. A place of no judgement, about what you wear, who you are with, what you are talking about etc.”
He further adds, “We wanted this year’s Pride month to be about connecting, and fun. We hosted a quiz night at the beginning of the month, which saw a turnover of about 25 people. We hope to see more people as the events continue to unfold.” For the upcoming events, Chaifee Cafe has a Bollywood-themed quiz night lined up for June 11, a fashion-themed quiz night on June 18 and a Pride-themed quiz night on June 25. “Effective July, we will have game nights for the LGBTQIA+ community every Saturday,” adds Kewalchand.
If chilling indoors is not your scene and the travel bug has bitten you, queer-friendly getaways are also available in the city. Out and About, a queer-inclusive travel group in the city, is hosting treks and weekend getaways this month. Prasenjit Chaudhuri, founder of the group, says, “Our group was started as an initiative to give a safe space to travel regardless of your gender or sexual identity. We visited the Hogenakkal Waterfalls for a hike and a lakehouse near Kanakapura road towards the beginning of the month to start off the Pride celebrations this year. A lot of people from the community showed up for the same. We are now introducing a new series of travel itineraries, in which we will carpool to the location to make the trips more affordable and inclusive for people.”
{{/usCountry}}If chilling indoors is not your scene and the travel bug has bitten you, queer-friendly getaways are also available in the city. Out and About, a queer-inclusive travel group in the city, is hosting treks and weekend getaways this month. Prasenjit Chaudhuri, founder of the group, says, “Our group was started as an initiative to give a safe space to travel regardless of your gender or sexual identity. We visited the Hogenakkal Waterfalls for a hike and a lakehouse near Kanakapura road towards the beginning of the month to start off the Pride celebrations this year. A lot of people from the community showed up for the same. We are now introducing a new series of travel itineraries, in which we will carpool to the location to make the trips more affordable and inclusive for people.”
{{/usCountry}}Another major upcoming event for the group is a storytelling and concert night at Urban Solace cafe on June 25. “Everyone from the community is invited, and we have professional storytellers to make the night even more eventful. It’s a great opportunity for people to come, connect and make memories,” says Chaudhuri.
On the fitness front, a Pride 5k run was carried out on June 5 by a queer-friendly group known as Bengaluru Frontrunners. “Over 110 people showed up for the run,” says Vishal Jha, president of the group, and adds, “We want more people to join in and know about us, while also starting their fitness journeys. Or if they want, they can just come and encourage others, do regular weekend runs, or just hang out with like-minded people.”
The group hosts runs every weekend. “We do runs/walks followed by breakfast every Sunday morning at Cubbon Park. We encourage LGBTQIA+ folks to join in,” Jha adds. The group was formed to create a safe space for people of the community to lead a healthy life. “Lots of queer people face bullying, and do not have any space to indulge in physical activities. We aim to provide a safe space to people without judgement. Let’s spread the rainbow on the running tracks at Cubbon Park,” Jha concludes.
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