Thousands Join Delhi's First Queer Pride Parade Post Covid Pandemic. See Pics

Dancing to drumbeats, shouting slogans, and carrying rainbow flags and signs marked the annual march from Barakhamba Road to Jantar Mantar.

Gender rights activists and supporters of LGBTQ community walk the Delhi queer pride parade in New Delhi.

After almost three years of a lull caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of members of the LGBTQ community took to the streets of Lutyens' Delhi to participate in the 13th annual Delhi Queer Pride March. ( Image Source: AFP )

Dancing to drumbeats, shouting slogans, and carrying rainbow flags and signs marked the annual march from Barakhamba Road to Jantar Mantar. ( Image Source: AFP )

Volunteer Noor Enayat said that thousands of people participated in the parade this year. The pandemic prevented the parade from taking place for the previous three years. "Due to the pandemic, the parade was not held for the last three years. This year, people gathered in large numbers braving the winter chill," she told PTI. ( Image Source: AFP )

Despite the winter chill, more than 2,000 people participated in the march. In a statement, the organisers said, "We march against the oppressive attacks and discrimination against... transpersons, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, pansexuals, asexuals, gender nonconforming, and intersex people." "We assert that legal rights remain valueless unless we build a culture of acceptance for personal expression, love in all its consensual forms, across the barriers of gender, caste, class, ability, religion, region, and language which constrain us. We march for the right to determine our life choices and for the recognition of the same," they said. ( Image Source: AFP )

The organisers said the march is also against "the systemic persecution of minorities - especially, but not limited to, Muslims, Dalits, Bahujans, Adivasis and Christians." "We march against the instigators of hatred and terror, and denounce lynchings in the name of caste, region, or religion," they said. ( Image Source: AFP )

They said they are marching to protest deforestation, climate injustice, and the forced relocation of indigenous communities from their homeland, referring to the climate emergency. ( Image Source: AFP )