Delhiwale: Some October commemorations

On Delhi's LGBTQ landmarks.

October is celebrated in many parts of the world as the LGBT History Month, in which milestones of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are commemorated. Here is a list of some of the numerous Delhi-NCR landmarks that have touched upon LGBT life. The list is fact-checked by the legendary Ashok Row Kavi, the 1990 founder of Bombay Dost, India’s first LGBT magazine.

October is celebrated in many parts of the world as the LGBT History Month.

An apartment in Gurugram

The home of Kavita Arora, a psychiatrist, and Ankita Khanna, a psychologist. In 2020, they along with another same-sex couple, filed a petition in the Delhi high court, seeking to get married under the Special Marriage Act, saying the lack of formal acceptance of their union under Indian laws is a violation of their constitutional rights.

Mona Ahmad’s grave

The burial place of Mona Ahmad, the transgender who was the subject of photographer Dayanita Singh’s book Myself Mona Ahmad. The photo above shows a wall of her house in the Mehendiyan graveyard in Old Delhi.

Central Park

Once a popular cruising area, it ignited India’s first media-covered public demonstration by queer men on August 11, 1992, organised by the AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan (Abva) against police harassment.

Delhi high court

At 10.35am on July 2, 2009, chief justice AP Shah and justice S Murlidhar legalised consensual adult same-sex relations. The fight for recognition had begun in 1994, when Abva filed a petition in this court against IPC Section 377.

Max Mueller Bhavan

India’s first-ever gay and lesbian film festival, named after Abva activist Sidhartha Gautam, was held here in 1993.

Nehru Park

Guests at the five-star Ashok hotel had a bird’s-eye view of the late-evening activities in this garden, a popular cruising point for gay men from diverse walks of life.

Jantar Mantar

The first annual Delhi Gay Pride Parade, on June 30, 2008, started from Regal building and ended at Jantar Mantar.

Pegs N Pints

Now shut. It was located near the old Chankaya cinema hall and held queer nights every Tuesday.

D-45, Gulmohar Park

Back in 1996, closeted men gathered here, at the Naz Foundation’s former office, every Friday evening at 7-9pm, to meet like-minded individuals. This was also where Sangini, the first lesbian support group, came into being.

Hijron Ka Khangah, Mehrauli

This graveyard has been a gathering space for the ‘hijra’ community over several centuries.

Regal Cinema

On December 7, 1998, filmmaker Deepa Mehta and scores of activists held a candlelight vigil in defence of her film Fire, based on the attraction between two women, outside the Regal Cinema building. That year, the theatre was attacked by protestors for screening the film.