Aditya is a fashion designer. His studio in downtown Kolkata is full of colourful fabrics and Indian gods. Twenty years ago, Aditya was on the organizing team for the very first Pride in Kolkata. They called the parade the “Friendship Walk,” says Aditya. They wore blue jeans and yellow T-shirts with no print. Back then, he was an enthusiastic activist, but today, Aditya distances himself from the struggles of the “boys”, he says. Aditya criticizes the Indian government when he talks with friends, but he does not state his opinion in public. Although he no longer protests on the streets for the recognition of LGBTIQ rights, he is still part of the movement. And to this day, he is still friends with some of the participants of the first Pride in Kolkata.
Aditya is a fashion designer. His studio in downtown Kolkata is full of colourful fabrics and Indian gods. Twenty years ago, Aditya was on the organizing team for the very first Pride in Kolkata. They called the parade the “Friendship Walk,” says Aditya. They wore blue jeans and yellow T-shirts with no print. Back then, he was an enthusiastic activist, but today, Aditya distances himself from the struggles of the “boys”, he says. Aditya criticizes the Indian government when he talks with friends, but he does not state his opinion in public. Although he no longer protests on the streets for the recognition of LGBTIQ rights, he is still part of the movement. And to this day, he is still friends with some of the participants of the first Pride in Kolkata.