Pride De Goa
Pride De Goa was the official pride parade walk in the state of Goa, India. It was organised by the NGO Goa Rainbow Trust.
History
2017
The first pride walk in Goa was organised on October 28, 2017. The walk took place from Old Secretariat to Miramar Beach, an approximate distance of five kilometres. One of the organisers Alexander Fernandes said, "We hope this walk will get rid of homophobia in some way. We want people to know that we are not harmful or ‘bad people’. We deserve respect like anyone else, and that we too have human rights." The event included LGBTQ+ parties, a film festival, and a pride walk.Another organiser, Diana Dias, talks about taking tips and suggestions from other Indian cities who have previously held pride walks. She said, "We have a large LGBT community in Goa, but most prefer to stay under the scanner since it is a very small place and everyone knows each other. However, we are trying to create more awareness now."
Chris Fernandes, who came out in the open about her sexuality and is proud of it, founded Adhikar to help girls dealing with similar issues in the state. “Among the LGBT, lesbians are the most closeted. Parents force them to get married and when there’s a child involved it gets more complicated,” she said, adding that she comes across a number of school and college going youth who are looking for someone to talk to.
The participants were encouraged to wear masks if they wanted to keep their identities private and steer away from religious and political posters.