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IISER students organise pride march at Aundh
The students and faculty of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune organised a pride march in support of the LGBTQIA+ community on Sunday
The students and faculty of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune organised a pride march in support of the LGBTQIA+ community on Sunday. More than 350 people took part in the march held in Aundh near ITI Road.
The “Satrangi” group formed by IISER students held its first pride march in 2019 and the Sunday march was its second as it could not held during the last two years because of Covid pandemic.
According to the organisers, around 250 students and faculty of IISER took part in the march that started around 3 pm. More than 100 people joined the march. Pride March is a major part of LGBTQIA+ culture, where people march to assert their identity, extend solidarity, and call for equality.
“There is a need to create a more inclusive space on campus for students who do not necessarily fit into conventional societal definitions of gender and sexuality. Thus, Satrangi, an LGBTQIA+ collective, was setup to address the many issues that those on the spectrum face. We intend to not only create a safe space of tolerance, acceptance and inclusion, but also change mindsets and erase the stigma that plague gender and sexual minorities,” said one of the core committee members of “Satrangi” on condition of anonymity.
“We will be aiming to connect people to organisations that would help them navigate through the queer experience and publicise trans and queer affirmative healthcare services. We also plan to raise awareness about HIV self-testing and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) along with experiences surrounding HIV,” the core committee member said.
