THE VASAI-VIRAR LGBTQ PRIDE FESTIVAL 2023 WILL BE A HISTORICAL EVENT FOR MUMBAIKAR & FOR THE SOCIETY

Nakshatra Bagwe, a well-known LGBTQAI+ activist and community organiser, was been named the organiser of the first-ever Vasai-Virar Pride Festival 2023. It is likely to be a watershed moment for the LGBTQ+ community in Vasai-Virar and beyond. The festival will take place on May 27, 2023, with the goal of having a good impact on the local community and promoting acceptance and understanding of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Swati Bhat

Nakshatra Bagwe is a well-known figure in the LGBTQ+ community, having campaigned relentlessly for queer individuals' rights and acceptance in Maharashtra and beyond India. Bagwe has long been a strong supporter for LGBTQ+ rights, and she has been instrumental in organising numerous community events and activities.

The Vasai-Virar Pride Festival 2023 is a one-day event that intends to commemorate the LGBTQ+ community's variety and resilience. It is expected to attract a huge number of LGBTQ+ people and sympathisers from across Maharashtra. The Vasai-Virar Pride Festival 2023 is expected to be a historic event for Maharashtra's LGBTQ+ community and a crucial step towards developing a more welcoming and inclusive society. We've planned a route for the Pride March that would take in several communities - temples, churches, and Vasai Road - to maximise exposure on the day.

Nakshatra Bagwe's communiqué on festival, "I know the responsibility of the first pride and something which is very close to my heart," Nakshatra Bagwe said of the celebration. I'd want to thank Shrey and Jay Kommana from Page G Events since I don't think this would have been possible without them. We were really delighted with the good response we received from the authorities and police officials, who gladly granted us permission without any difficulty. This festival is a significant step towards making society more accepting and inclusive of the LGBTQ+ population. I am excited to collaborate with the organisers and the community to make this festival a huge success."

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Global LGBTQ event cancelled after demand to remove Taiwan’s name

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry says WorldPride event would have advanced regional diversity and equality in East Asia.

Swati Bhat

An international LGBTQ gathering in Taiwan has been cancelled after global organisers demanded the self-ruling island’s name be removed from the 2025 event.

Taiwan on Friday blamed “political considerations” for the cancellation of the WorldPride 2025 Taiwan after it said the organisers had insisted that the name “Taiwan” be removed from the title.

Taiwan participates in global events such the Olympics Games as “Chinese Taipei”, to avoid political problems with China which views the democratically-governed island as its own territory and bristles at anything that suggests it is a separate country.

Taiwan’s southern city of Kaohsiung had been due to host the WorldPride 2025 Taiwan event after winning the right from global LGBTQ rights group InterPride.

Organisers in Kaohsiung said InterPride had “suddenly” asked them to change the name of the event to “Kaohsiung”, removing the word “Taiwan”.

“After careful evaluation, it is believed that if the event continues, it may harm the interests of Taiwan and the Taiwan gay community. Therefore, it is decided to terminate the project before signing the contract,” the Kaohsiung organisers said.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the event would have been the first WorldPride event to be held in East Asia, and would have advanced regional diversity and equality.

“Taiwan deeply regrets that InterPride, due to political considerations, has unilaterally rejected the mutually agreed upon consensus and broken a relationship of cooperation and trust, leading to this outcome,” the ministry said.

“Not only does the decision disrespect Taiwan’s rights and diligent efforts, it also harms Asia’s vast LGBTIQ+ community and runs counter to the progressive principles espoused by InterPride.”

InterPride did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

WorldPride’s committee said it took the decision “for the best interest of the LGBTIQ+ community in Taiwan” and that members would resign from their positions.

Taiwan is at the vanguard of a burgeoning gay rights movement. It legalised same-sex marriage in 2019, in a first for Asia, and is proud of its reputation as a bastion of LGBTQ rights and liberalism.

The island is home to a thriving LGBTQ community and a record 200,000 people attended a pride march in Taipei in 2019 to celebrate the legalisation of same-sex marriages.

While same-sex relations are not illegal in China, same-sex marriage is, and Beijing has been cracking down on depictions of LGBTQ people in the media and the community’s use of social media.

Last year, after an outcry in Taiwan, InterPride dropped a reference to the island as a “region”, wording that suggests it is not a country.

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What do consumers really want from pride month marketing?

July 02: Pride month has come to a close. The annual month celebrating LGBTQIA+ people across the globe saw its celebration of parades, pride merchandise, and ceremonies honoring trailblazing LGBT activists.

Swati Bhat

At a time when there are hundreds of pieces of anti-transgender legislation across America, and the threat of losing the right to same-sex marriage hangs in the air with the current iteration of the conservative Supreme Court, pride month is more important than ever.

Pride month has come to a close. The annual month celebrating LGBTQIA+ people across the globe saw its celebration of parades, pride merchandise, and ceremonies honoring trailblazing LGBT activists. At a time when there are hundreds of pieces of anti-transgender legislation across America, and the threat of losing the right to same-sex marriage hangs in the air with the current iteration of the conservative Supreme Court, pride month is more important than ever.

As companies have worked to capitalize on pride month though, it seems they have lost some sense of what LGBT customers want from pride month marketing. Slapping rainbow flags on products and saying Happy Pride isn’t cutting the mustard anymore. While LGBT consumers are happy to see brands seemingly get on board for LBGT causes, marketing often reeks of “rainbow capitalism.” These companies often don’t seem to actually engage with the LGBT community in any meaningful way.

What do LGBT customers actually want from pride marketing? For starters, brands need to put their money where their mouth is. If they are truly invested in LGBT issues, they need to give back to the community. There are tons of LGBT organizations out there that would gladly partner with these fashion companies to raise funds.

The good news is more brands are getting on board and getting it right. Abercrombie & Fitch donated 400,000 dollars to The Trevor Project, the nation’s largest suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ youth. Adidas partnered with British LGBTQ advocacy group Stonewall UK and Athlete Ally, which works to combat homophobia and transphobia in sports. American and Eagle helped the It Gets Better Project fund 50 10,000 dollar grants, one for each U.S. state, to empower LGBTQ youth.

One issue that many still have with pride marketing though is the lack of diversity. The Pride movement in America was founded on the backs of transgender women of color, who continue to go underrepresented in pride marketing campaigns. At the bare minimum, brands need to acknowledge that Black trans lives matter. Black trans women continue to experience the highest rates of unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, and murder than any of their other LGBT counterparts. They are also far more likely to turn to sex work as a means of survival. While fashion brands are throwing their weight behind major LGBT organizations to put their money where their mouth is, they can also put more emphasis on organizations that support trans women of color including the Marsha P. Johnson Institute and the Okra Project.

While throwing money behind major organizations is also aiding the fight for LGBT organizations, major brands can also stand to highlight more local LGBT organizations who often don’t see the big-dollar donations that national organizations that have donors with big pockets enjoy the privilege of.

Finally, LGBT people would like to see themselves consulted for these ad campaigns. From artistic direction to casting, if brands really want to represent the LGBT community, they need to be hiring and paying LGBT people. While pride marketing has come far from its days of being taboo, there’s still work to be done. Slowly but incrementally, progress is being made.

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