Think gay. Think lovable, sassy Cameron Tucker in the hit show Modern Family who could very well be just about anybody’s best friend. Though this show has a host of gay characters, all of which are endearing in their own ways, including Tucker’s husband Michael Pritchett, the former still qualifies as the gay ‘best’ friend that every woman aspires to have.&nbsp; 
 
Going by the stereotype would mean he's chatty, gossipy and has a huge affinity towards fashion, style, luxury, and the good life and also is hugely popular, especially with women. Not every gay buddy has to be like this though; you can still like them for other qualities, but you can’t ignore their dripping, cascading charm. Gay men are very very charming, know how to compliment a woman and say just the right things. Is it any wonder then that they make a woman's best buddy? 
 
If you ask me why, I could roll off a number of reasons why I think so and also why I feel that the straight woman-gay man friendship is a match made in Heaven. In fact a bit more than even the ‘bromosexual’ friendships that are the talk of the town now. Uh, what’s that? 
 
Bromosexual would mean a straight man and gay man friendship that’s decidedly rarer than gay men’s friendships with women. Only because most straight guys are reluctant to befriend gay ones because of some amount of homophobia (admit it, it exists!) and then being seen as less masculine if found in the company of such men. And yet, bromosexual friendships are slowly gaining a foothold in society, if you are to believe societal trends as reported in most media.&nbsp; 
 
Women on the other hand are drawn to gay men like bees to honey and the reason is clear. They gravitate towards them because they get the benefits of hanging around with somebody who is clearly not a competition and also because this liaison has none of the dangers that heterosexual friendships have.&nbsp; 
 
Like &nbsp;a famous character Harry Burns, in a very famous romcom, When Harry Met Sally says, “Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” His view may not be entirely accurate but has a lot of truth in it if you care to find out. After all friend zoning doesn’t come easy, with just about anybody. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gender-identity-is-real-judge-places-temporary-halts-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-children-601490">ALSO READ|&nbsp;'Gender identity is real': Judge temporarily halts Florida law banning gender-affirming care for trans kids</a> 
 
Cinema and television have paid more tributes than any other medium to the idea of the ‘gay best friend’ that women cherish. Personally, some of my favourite gay best friends are: Rupert Everett who’s the gay right-hand to Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding. He’s devoted to her, loves her and gets to show that being single is fun. My vote also goes to Paul Rudd in The Object of My Affection, the&nbsp;ideal partner that Jennifer Aniston wants but cannot have!&nbsp;

Then again, in the famous 1998 show Will &amp; Grace that ran for a successful 11 seasons before wrapping up in 2006, is it any surprise then that the lead characters Will Truman (Eric Mccormack), a gay lawyer and his best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing), an interior designer became iconic characters soon after? Their relationship with all its fun moments and sensitivity and pathos carved the way for more gay characters and best friendships with women to flourish in real life. 
 
Well, the gay best friend endures. You’ll still find him lurking here and there and latching on to a woman that loves him with all her heart and vice versa. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Now, coming back to the real world, what on earth can explain why gay men and women make best friends? According to a report in Science Direct, the reason why not just any woman, but most attractive women want gay male friends is because it is a previously undiscovered strategy to prevent mating deception and sexual exploitation. Ahem, yes. There is painstaking research that actually says that women's tendency to befriend gay men is because firstly they do not have the motive to mate with women or to compete with them for straight male partners. The second reason is that attractive women are more likely to be sexually and competitively targeted by heterosexual individuals. 
 
So straight women and gay men can have an astonishing rapport and become close quickly; just the kind of things that they may not always have with straight men. These above reasons are also advocated in a study by Eric M Russell, professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Psychology. 
&nbsp; 
Like so many others before me, I too had my share of gay best friends. I’ll call my first gay best friend Simon (he still doesn’t want to be written about), like the 2018 movie about the cute gay guy called Love Simon. The first time we met in college was almost like the first time of a romantic encounter. Our eyes met, we talked, hit it off immediately and became best friends soon after. Except this was not a romance; rather a straight woman-gay man friendship that has nurtured my life for the last 15 years.&nbsp; 
 
He no longer lives in India but we still keep in touch. He says it's been tough growing up with a different sexual orientation in a country where it is still a matter of shame for most parents to admit their child is gay, where he was mocked a lot and could never marry the man he loved.&nbsp; 
 
In these years, I've been through my fair share of troubles; so has he. Instead of reaching out to other friends, I always leaned on him. His life hasn't been so easy because though he had been through many relationships, when he finally found the one he wanted to marry, there was a lot of opposition so he moved to foreign shores with his partner and they created their ‘happily ever after.' 
 
A classic love story with all the trials and tribulations and finally victory.&nbsp; 
 
Throughout the years, I've had the fortune of knowing many such Simons, all of whom (at least I feel that) are unique in the way they lead their lives, choosing their battles, their rights and holding their head up to make their unique choices and being fearless about it. They do not bow to convention and do not subscribe to notions of ‘normal’ that most people are bound to, in a narrow sense. 
 
What is normal, really? It differs from person to person. 
 
These famous lines by American cartoonist Charles Addams of Addams Family fame should say it all: What is chaos for the fly is order for the spider!&nbsp; 
 
Or even as the lines from this song by celebrated artist George Michael (who was gay but publicly declared it only in 1998) go:&nbsp; 
 
I think there's something you should know 
I think it's time I stopped the show 
There's something deep inside of me 
There's someone I forgot to be 
Take back your picture in a frame 
Don’t think that I’ll be back again 
I just hope you understand 
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man. 
 
Aptly titled "Freedom! ’90," this song became an LGBTQ+ anthem the world over and is even more relevant this June, the Pride Month when we celebrate and cherish them! 
 
(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

 
&nbsp;

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Think gay. Think lovable, sassy Cameron Tucker in the hit show Modern Family who could very well be just about anybody’s best friend. Though this show has a host of gay characters, all of which are endearing in their own ways, including Tucker’s husband Michael Pritchett, the former still qualifies as the gay ‘best’ friend that every woman aspires to have.

Think gay. Think lovable, sassy Cameron Tucker in the hit show Modern Family who could very well be just about anybody’s best friend. Though this show has a host of gay characters, all of which are endearing in their own ways, including Tucker’s husband Michael Pritchett, the former still qualifies as the gay ‘best’ friend that every woman aspires to have. Going by the stereotype would mean he's chatty, gossipy and has a huge affinity towards fashion, style, luxury, and the good life and also is hugely popular, especially with women. Not every gay buddy has to be like this though; you can still like them for other qualities, but you can’t ignore their dripping, cascading charm. Gay men are very very charming, know how to compliment a woman and say just the right things. Is it any wonder then that they make a woman's best buddy? If you ask me why, I could roll off a number of reasons why I think so and also why I feel that the straight woman-gay man friendship is a match made in Heaven. In fact a bit more than even the ‘bromosexual’ friendships that are the talk of the town now. Uh, what’s that? Bromosexual would mean a straight man and gay man friendship that’s decidedly rarer than gay men’s friendships with women. Only because most straight guys are reluctant to befriend gay ones because of some amount of homophobia (admit it, it exists!) and then being seen as less masculine if found in the company of such men. And yet, bromosexual friendships are slowly gaining a foothold in society, if you are to believe societal trends as reported in most media. Women on the other hand are drawn to gay men like bees to honey and the reason is clear. They gravitate towards them because they get the benefits of hanging around with somebody who is clearly not a competition and also because this liaison has none of the dangers that heterosexual friendships have. Like a famous character Harry Burns, in a very famous romcom, When Harry Met Sally says, “Men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” His view may not be entirely accurate but has a lot of truth in it if you care to find out. After all friend zoning doesn’t come easy, with just about anybody. ALSO READ| 'Gender identity is real': Judge temporarily halts Florida law banning gender-affirming care for trans kids Cinema and television have paid more tributes than any other medium to the idea of the ‘gay best friend’ that women cherish. Personally, some of my favourite gay best friends are: Rupert Everett who’s the gay right-hand to Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding. He’s devoted to her, loves her and gets to show that being single is fun. My vote also goes to Paul Rudd in The Object of My Affection, the ideal partner that Jennifer Aniston wants but cannot have! Then again, in the famous 1998 show Will & Grace that ran for a successful 11 seasons before wrapping up in 2006, is it any surprise then that the lead characters Will Truman (Eric Mccormack), a gay lawyer and his best friend Grace Adler (Debra Messing), an interior designer became iconic characters soon after? Their relationship with all its fun moments and sensitivity and pathos carved the way for more gay characters and best friendships with women to flourish in real life. Well, the gay best friend endures. You’ll still find him lurking here and there and latching on to a woman that loves him with all her heart and vice versa. Now, coming back to the real world, what on earth can explain why gay men and women make best friends? According to a report in Science Direct, the reason why not just any woman, but most attractive women want gay male friends is because it is a previously undiscovered strategy to prevent mating deception and sexual exploitation. Ahem, yes. There is painstaking research that actually says that women's tendency to befriend gay men is because firstly they do not have the motive to mate with women or to compete with them for straight male partners. The second reason is that attractive women are more likely to be sexually and competitively targeted by heterosexual individuals. So straight women and gay men can have an astonishing rapport and become close quickly; just the kind of things that they may not always have with straight men. These above reasons are also advocated in a study by Eric M Russell, professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Psychology. Like so many others before me, I too had my share of gay best friends. I’ll call my first gay best friend Simon (he still doesn’t want to be written about), like the 2018 movie about the cute gay guy called Love Simon. The first time we met in college was almost like the first time of a romantic encounter. Our eyes met, we talked, hit it off immediately and became best friends soon after. Except this was not a romance; rather a straight woman-gay man friendship that has nurtured my life for the last 15 years. He no longer lives in India but we still keep in touch. He says it's been tough growing up with a different sexual orientation in a country where it is still a matter of shame for most parents to admit their child is gay, where he was mocked a lot and could never marry the man he loved. In these years, I've been through my fair share of troubles; so has he. Instead of reaching out to other friends, I always leaned on him. His life hasn't been so easy because though he had been through many relationships, when he finally found the one he wanted to marry, there was a lot of opposition so he moved to foreign shores with his partner and they created their ‘happily ever after.' A classic love story with all the trials and tribulations and finally victory. Throughout the years, I've had the fortune of knowing many such Simons, all of whom (at least I feel that) are unique in the way they lead their lives, choosing their battles, their rights and holding their head up to make their unique choices and being fearless about it. They do not bow to convention and do not subscribe to notions of ‘normal’ that most people are bound to, in a narrow sense. What is normal, really? It differs from person to person. These famous lines by American cartoonist Charles Addams of Addams Family fame should say it all: What is chaos for the fly is order for the spider! Or even as the lines from this song by celebrated artist George Michael (who was gay but publicly declared it only in 1998) go: I think there's something you should know I think it's time I stopped the show There's something deep inside of me There's someone I forgot to be Take back your picture in a frame Don’t think that I’ll be back again I just hope you understand Sometimes the clothes do not make the man. Aptly titled "Freedom! ’90," this song became an LGBTQ+ anthem the world over and is even more relevant this June, the Pride Month when we celebrate and cherish them! (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

LGBTQ Pride Month: The gay best friend every woman must have

A few days before the pan-European gathering of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-permits-jewish-university-to-temporarily-deny-official-recognition-to-lgbtq-students-514893">LGBTQ</a> community was scheduled to take place, thousands of protesters rallied in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to voice their opposition to the impending EuroPride event.

After the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/novak-djokovic-cleared-to-play-in-australian-open-despite-refusing-to-get-jabbed-515080">Serbian</a> government withdrew its support for the event, tensions in the capital have been simmering, but pride organisers have vowed to continue with the gathering, which is set for this coming Saturday.

On Sunday, bikers, ring-wing groups, and priests of the Orthodox faith all marched through the streets of Belgrade while holding crosses and waving icons. Some promised to stage a protest in response to the EuroPride organisers' decision to hold the event.

"I don't discriminate against them... but they should do it at home and not impose it," said one protester, Djordje, 25.&nbsp;

After far-right organisations targeted the event, violence and riots marred the Belgrade Pride marches in 2001 and again in 2010.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/princeton-university-to-be-free-for-students-whose-families-earn-less-than-100000-515042">Princeton University to be free for students whose families earn less than $100,000</a>

The march has been organised on a regular basis since 2014, but there is a significant law enforcement presence.

Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, announced last month that he had decided to "postpone or cancel" the EuroPride event. He gave a number of explanations, including current hostilities with the former secessionist province of Kosovo and worries about food and energy.

The government did not have the right to cancel EuroPride, according to the event's organisers, who criticised the action.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION live TV here:

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A few days before the pan-European gathering of the LGBTQ community was scheduled to take place, thousands of protesters rallied in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to voice their opposition to the impending EuroPride event.

A few days before the pan-European gathering of the LGBTQ community was scheduled to take place, thousands of protesters rallied in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to voice their opposition to the impending EuroPride event. After the Serbian government withdrew its support for the event, tensions in the capital have been simmering, but pride organisers have vowed to continue with the gathering, which is set for this coming Saturday. On Sunday, bikers, ring-wing groups, and priests of the Orthodox faith all marched through the streets of Belgrade while holding crosses and waving icons. Some promised to stage a protest in response to the EuroPride organisers' decision to hold the event. "I don't discriminate against them... but they should do it at home and not impose it," said one protester, Djordje, 25. After far-right organisations targeted the event, violence and riots marred the Belgrade Pride marches in 2001 and again in 2010. Also read | Princeton University to be free for students whose families earn less than $100,000 The march has been organised on a regular basis since 2014, but there is a significant law enforcement presence. Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, announced last month that he had decided to "postpone or cancel" the EuroPride event. He gave a number of explanations, including current hostilities with the former secessionist province of Kosovo and worries about food and energy. The government did not have the right to cancel EuroPride, according to the event's organisers, who criticised the action. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION live TV here:

Thousands protest the forthcoming EuroPride in Serbian capital

On 12 June 2016, Omar Mateen opened fire in a gay nightclub in Orlando, United States. By the time he finished the rampage, 49 people from the LGBTQIA+ community were dead and 53 injured.

This month, President Joe Biden signed off on naming the Pulse nightclub a national memorial.

The gruesome incident in that club, once a space of joy, is a reminder to the LGBTQIA+ community of the consequences they face for exercising freedom, even in relatively open societies. Asserting those freedoms is at the heart of the&nbsp;Pride&nbsp;Month.&nbsp;

In late 20th century, when "certain looking" people were discouraged from pursuing social interaction in public, clubs emerged as safe spaces for sexual minorities.

With the Stonewall riots in New York City, the Gay Liberation Movement took off in 1969 and called on governments to take notice of the community’s needs and demands. After being excluded from the mainstream narrative, minorities were finally finding a voice. That movement continues to manifest itself globally with yearly&nbsp;pride&nbsp;parades and the enlarged demands for representation.&nbsp;

<h6 data-ogsc="black"><img alt="A person waves the rainbow flag, or pride flag, during the first in-person LGBT+ Pride march amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, in Guadalajara, Jalisco State, Mexico, on June 12, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abd0fd83-87cd-4719-88bb-88187ce11038" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%281%29_3.jpg" /> 
A person waves the rainbow flag, or pride flag, during the first in-person LGBT+ Pride march amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, in Guadalajara, Jalisco State, Mexico, on June 12, 2021. | AFP 
 
&nbsp;</h6>

But the Orlando nightclub shooting brought to light a new threat posed by community-driven safe spaces, marking a new direction in hate crimes of trespassing these spaces that were instituted for the safety enshrined in them.

Suddenly, the community felt shocked and scathed - dumbfounded by how their years-long struggle was diluted by an ignorant homophobe. It shook everyone to this cold reality: exclusive clubs are not enough, safe spaces aren’t safe enough, marriage equality is not enough.

While legal recognition in democratic countries has allayed fears among sexual minorities, the ground reality continues to remain grim.&nbsp;

In fact, with global discussions about marriage equality and anti-discrimination measures, the community has been flung into the mainstream narrative. This does not sit well with naysayers. And when majoritarian groups feel threatened, they react with violence.&nbsp;

An NBC news report claims that in 2019 alone, hate crimes against transgenders soared by 20 per cent and that’s just in the US.

The pertinent question is - has the LGBTQIA+ community been celebrating a premature victory?&nbsp;

In India, the scrapping of the archaic Section 377 instilled a sense of faith among people. But there are no measures in place to protect LGBTQIA+ community from discrimination and harassment, in both the public and private spheres.&nbsp;

The transgender community especially remains extremely compartmentalised due to decades-long stigmatisation.&nbsp;Are radical changes like marriage equality enough?&nbsp;

In 2019, the&nbsp;Transgender&nbsp;Persons Bill&nbsp;was passed with the hope of ending&nbsp;discrimination in terms of employment, education, and access to healthcare. But is that change trickling down in India?

<h6 data-ogsc="black"><img alt="A participant holds a rainbow flag as people take part at the annual Pride March parade in Paris on June 26, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="63bddd5a-7c84-4cc0-9702-c994048bf973" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%285%29_0.jpg" /> 
A participant holds a rainbow flag as people take part at the annual Pride March parade in Paris on June 26, 2021. | AFP</h6>

 
European countries are also facing a "cultural battle" over the scope of LGBT+ rights, as suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron.

On June 25, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Hungary's premier Viktor Orban&nbsp;to "respect LGBT rights or leave the European Union" over a contentious law which prohibits schools in the country from using material that "promotes homosexuality".

The country's&nbsp;"Anti-Paedophilia Act" conflates pedophilia with homosexuality, a common trope which is pushed in homophobic regimes to curtail rights.

On the other&nbsp;end of this spectrum are countries like Italy, where an attempt is being made to create an anti-LGBT hate law.&nbsp;A noble proposal, it was immediately shot down by neighbouring&nbsp;Vatican which&nbsp;headquarters&nbsp;the Roman Catholic Church.

It's not unusual for neighbours to disagree with each other's policies. But the Vatican's attempt to alter the course of pro-LGBTQIA+ measures in Italy are peculiar.&nbsp;

This time, its stance has been invoked as a nation, deeply symbolic of the&nbsp;“concordat” that defines Vatican's&nbsp;relationship with Italy, whose&nbsp;"Zan bill" intends to outlaw targeted violence against sexual minorities.&nbsp;

Italy has extremely less protective provisions for its sexual minorities when compared with other European countries, which is perceived as a&nbsp;direct product of the Catholic Church's historical influence on the country.

It takes a lot more than snap alterations to change a society comfortably settled in majoritarian excesses.&nbsp;No amount of rainbow posturing by corporates will usher real social change until education begins from both ends of power.&nbsp;

In India, the absenteeism exhibited by mainstream political leaders in terms of LGBTQIA+ rights is jarring. It reflects the misplaced priorities of a democracy. At a time when democracies should expand their freedoms, many regimes are taking a step back and questioning the need for diversity.

If this trend escalates, there could be pushback against equality.&nbsp;

At Euro 2020, a sporting event has drawn attention after Manuel Neuer donned a rainbow-coloured armband to support equal rights, which was seen as a ‘political symbol’ by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

They opened an investigation into this statement and are planning to hold more matches in Budapest, where legislation prevents dissemination of any content which ‘promotes’ homosexuality.&nbsp;

<h6 data-ogsc="black"><img alt="Participants hold signs as they take part in the &quot;Skopje Pride&quot;, the second Pride march in downtown Skopje on June 26, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b19f35fa-3990-4e9f-98c8-ff4326034c57" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%283%29_2.jpg" /> 
Participants hold signs as they take part in the "Skopje Pride", the second Pride march in downtown Skopje on June 26, 2021. | AFP</h6>

 
Token moves like yearly events are not enough in a world where many countries still punish homosexuality by death.&nbsp;

We’re all familiar with the Holocaust. But how many of us know that after the Jews, Hitler’s ferocious empire systematically targeted homosexuals - a story that has remained largely buried because war crime archives tend to ignore gendered and sexual violence.

In Chechnya, a Russian territory, anti-gay purges have become rampant in the last five years. Forced disappearances and secret imprisonments at Hitler-style concentration camps have been noted by several eyewitnesses.

<h6 data-ogsc="black"><img alt="An activist holds a rainbow flag during the annual Gay Pride Parade in downtown Sofia, on June 12, 2021." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1ab24a81-7224-4664-bce3-a37378f6e6e7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%284%29_2.jpg" /> 
An activist holds a rainbow flag during the annual Gay Pride Parade in downtown Sofia, on June 12, 2021. | AFP</h6>

 
Most online campaigns driven by marketing greed are acts of posturing more than redemption that appear and disappear in sync with evolving laws. Roughly 50 per cent&nbsp;of Indians have access to internet - the behemoth of free information and knowledge accumulation. Unfortunately, our national politics have never openly embraced narratives of equality for fears of alienating vote banks. But it’s time to move forward, to trigger targeted awareness campaigns, to imbibe sexuality and not just procreative sex into our education system.

Till then, forget marriage equality, most LGBTQIA+ folks can’t even occupy public spaces without being jeered at, verbally abused, or facing acts of violence.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

On 12 June 2016, Omar Mateen opened fire in a gay nightclub in Orlando, United States. By the time he finished the rampage, 49 people from the LGBTQIA+ community were dead and 53 injured.

On 12 June 2016, Omar Mateen opened fire in a gay nightclub in Orlando, United States. By the time he finished the rampage, 49 people from the LGBTQIA+ community were dead and 53 injured. This month, President Joe Biden signed off on naming the Pulse nightclub a national memorial. The gruesome incident in that club, once a space of joy, is a reminder to the LGBTQIA+ community of the consequences they face for exercising freedom, even in relatively open societies. Asserting those freedoms is at the heart of the Pride Month. In late 20th century, when "certain looking" people were discouraged from pursuing social interaction in public, clubs emerged as safe spaces for sexual minorities. With the Stonewall riots in New York City, the Gay Liberation Movement took off in 1969 and called on governments to take notice of the community’s needs and demands. After being excluded from the mainstream narrative, minorities were finally finding a voice. That movement continues to manifest itself globally with yearly pride parades and the enlarged demands for representation. A person waves the rainbow flag, or pride flag, during the first in-person LGBT+ Pride march amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, in Guadalajara, Jalisco State, Mexico, on June 12, 2021. | AFP But the Orlando nightclub shooting brought to light a new threat posed by community-driven safe spaces, marking a new direction in hate crimes of trespassing these spaces that were instituted for the safety enshrined in them. Suddenly, the community felt shocked and scathed - dumbfounded by how their years-long struggle was diluted by an ignorant homophobe. It shook everyone to this cold reality: exclusive clubs are not enough, safe spaces aren’t safe enough, marriage equality is not enough. While legal recognition in democratic countries has allayed fears among sexual minorities, the ground reality continues to remain grim. In fact, with global discussions about marriage equality and anti-discrimination measures, the community has been flung into the mainstream narrative. This does not sit well with naysayers. And when majoritarian groups feel threatened, they react with violence. An NBC news report claims that in 2019 alone, hate crimes against transgenders soared by 20 per cent and that’s just in the US. The pertinent question is - has the LGBTQIA+ community been celebrating a premature victory? In India, the scrapping of the archaic Section 377 instilled a sense of faith among people. But there are no measures in place to protect LGBTQIA+ community from discrimination and harassment, in both the public and private spheres. The transgender community especially remains extremely compartmentalised due to decades-long stigmatisation. Are radical changes like marriage equality enough? In 2019, the Transgender Persons Bill was passed with the hope of ending discrimination in terms of employment, education, and access to healthcare. But is that change trickling down in India? A participant holds a rainbow flag as people take part at the annual Pride March parade in Paris on June 26, 2021. | AFP European countries are also facing a "cultural battle" over the scope of LGBT+ rights, as suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron. On June 25, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told Hungary's premier Viktor Orban to "respect LGBT rights or leave the European Union" over a contentious law which prohibits schools in the country from using material that "promotes homosexuality". The country's "Anti-Paedophilia Act" conflates pedophilia with homosexuality, a common trope which is pushed in homophobic regimes to curtail rights. On the other end of this spectrum are countries like Italy, where an attempt is being made to create an anti-LGBT hate law. A noble proposal, it was immediately shot down by neighbouring Vatican which headquarters the Roman Catholic Church. It's not unusual for neighbours to disagree with each other's policies. But the Vatican's attempt to alter the course of pro-LGBTQIA+ measures in Italy are peculiar. This time, its stance has been invoked as a nation, deeply symbolic of the “concordat” that defines Vatican's relationship with Italy, whose "Zan bill" intends to outlaw targeted violence against sexual minorities. Italy has extremely less protective provisions for its sexual minorities when compared with other European countries, which is perceived as a direct product of the Catholic Church's historical influence on the country. It takes a lot more than snap alterations to change a society comfortably settled in majoritarian excesses. No amount of rainbow posturing by corporates will usher real social change until education begins from both ends of power. In India, the absenteeism exhibited by mainstream political leaders in terms of LGBTQIA+ rights is jarring. It reflects the misplaced priorities of a democracy. At a time when democracies should expand their freedoms, many regimes are taking a step back and questioning the need for diversity. If this trend escalates, there could be pushback against equality. At Euro 2020, a sporting event has drawn attention after Manuel Neuer donned a rainbow-coloured armband to support equal rights, which was seen as a ‘political symbol’ by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). They opened an investigation into this statement and are planning to hold more matches in Budapest, where legislation prevents dissemination of any content which ‘promotes’ homosexuality. Participants hold signs as they take part in the "Skopje Pride", the second Pride march in downtown Skopje on June 26, 2021. | AFP Token moves like yearly events are not enough in a world where many countries still punish homosexuality by death. We’re all familiar with the Holocaust. But how many of us know that after the Jews, Hitler’s ferocious empire systematically targeted homosexuals - a story that has remained largely buried because war crime archives tend to ignore gendered and sexual violence. In Chechnya, a Russian territory, anti-gay purges have become rampant in the last five years. Forced disappearances and secret imprisonments at Hitler-style concentration camps have been noted by several eyewitnesses. An activist holds a rainbow flag during the annual Gay Pride Parade in downtown Sofia, on June 12, 2021. | AFP Most online campaigns driven by marketing greed are acts of posturing more than redemption that appear and disappear in sync with evolving laws. Roughly 50 per cent of Indians have access to internet - the behemoth of free information and knowledge accumulation. Unfortunately, our national politics have never openly embraced narratives of equality for fears of alienating vote banks. But it’s time to move forward, to trigger targeted awareness campaigns, to imbibe sexuality and not just procreative sex into our education system. Till then, forget marriage equality, most LGBTQIA+ folks can’t even occupy public spaces without being jeered at, verbally abused, or facing acts of violence. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: Will Pride Month do more than just rainbow colouring of displays? 

For many Americans, gay bars and nightclubs have long served as a place of refuge, a carefree place filled with like-minded souls away from the relatives, employers or anyone else who might judge them disapprovingly, or worse. 
 
The massacre at a gay nightclub in Florida was seen as a jarring reminder of the discrimination they can still face, giving some renewed cause to march through city streets on Sunday in the Gay Pride events that fill the June calendar. 
 
What compelled Omar Mateen to kill people dancing and mingling at Orlando&#39;s Pulse nightclub in the early hours of Sunday in the deadliest shooting spree in U.S. history is still being investigated. But the killer&#39;s father told NBC News his son had become angry after seeing two men kissing in Miami recently. 
 
President Barack Obama, gay-rights groups and parade goers at Gay Pride events on Sunday cast the killings as an affront to the civil liberties of gay people after a string of hard-fought legal successes, including the U.S. Supreme Court&#39;s ruling a year ago that all 50 states must allow same-sex marriage. 
 
&quot;An incident like this brings the hatred that does exist out there to the forefront,&quot; Craig Baldwin said as he joined hundreds of people gathering in Washington, D.C., for the annual Gay Pride festival on Sunday, where people were by turns somber and defiant. A 39-year-old director of the Shakespeare Theater Company, Baldwin was handing out stickers that said &quot;Shakespeare - Boys Kissing Boys Since 1592.&quot; 
 
&quot;It is a reminder of what we have to do to spread love, not hate,&quot; he said. 
 
Julie Sibbing, 53, choked back tears as she discussed the shooting, saying it was important for her not to skip the parade. 
 
&quot;There is risk in this life and we&#39;re not going to let hate win,&quot; she said. &quot;We&#39;ve got to be amongst the family today. Everybody is suffering. I think we all kind of want to be together today.&quot; 
 
In Orlando, leaders of groups that service LGBT residents announced an effort to raise money for the victims of the shooting had amassed more than $430,000 within hours. 
 
&quot;We will love and support the victims even as we join to eradicate the hatred that lies at the core of this violence,&quot; said Mary Meeks, a prominent Florida civil rights lawyer. 
 
Gay Pride parades in cities across the United States have grown out of the marches in 1969 protesting the police raids at the Stonewall Inn, a long-standing New York City bar that served gay people who were otherwise ostracized from society. 
 
Rebecca Triglianos and Nicole Martin, a couple from Irvington, New York, contemplated the growing pile of flowers on Sunday outside the bar, a designated National Historic Landmark for its role in the gay-rights movement. 
 
&quot;This is a meeting space, we came here to celebrate marriage equality so we would come here to mourn a loss as well,&quot; said Triglianos, referring to the jubilant crowds that spontaneously gathered at the Greenwich Village bar a year ago to celebrate the Supreme Court&#39;s marriage decision. 
 
Obama evoked the important role that bars and nightclubs have played in gay American life in his somber remarks on the attack at Pulse. 
 
&quot;The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub,&quot; he said. &quot;It is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their civil rights.&quot; 
 
Some older Americans recalled the widespread public indifference that greeted the early years of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, in which thousands of gay men died, and saw in the outpouring of sympathy following Sunday&#39;s attack a welcome sign of changed times. 
 
&quot;The younger gay community has never really witnessed anything as devastating on the community as the older community did with HIV,&quot; said Raymond Michael Sharpe, 55, a bartender at another Orlando gay club. &quot;This time, we have the support of the whole world behind us, thank God.&quot;

Attack at Pulse nightclub is a reminder of the discrimination and outright hate the LGBT can still face

For many Americans, gay bars and nightclubs have long served as a place of refuge, a carefree place filled with like-minded souls away from the relatives, employers or anyone else who might judge them disapprovingly, or worse. The massacre at a gay nightclub in Florida was seen as a jarring reminder of the discrimination they can still face, giving some renewed cause to march through city streets on Sunday in the Gay Pride events that fill the June calendar. What compelled Omar Mateen to kill people dancing and mingling at Orlando's Pulse nightclub in the early hours of Sunday in the deadliest shooting spree in U.S. history is still being investigated. But the killer's father told NBC News his son had become angry after seeing two men kissing in Miami recently. President Barack Obama, gay-rights groups and parade goers at Gay Pride events on Sunday cast the killings as an affront to the civil liberties of gay people after a string of hard-fought legal successes, including the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling a year ago that all 50 states must allow same-sex marriage. "An incident like this brings the hatred that does exist out there to the forefront," Craig Baldwin said as he joined hundreds of people gathering in Washington, D.C., for the annual Gay Pride festival on Sunday, where people were by turns somber and defiant. A 39-year-old director of the Shakespeare Theater Company, Baldwin was handing out stickers that said "Shakespeare - Boys Kissing Boys Since 1592." "It is a reminder of what we have to do to spread love, not hate," he said. Julie Sibbing, 53, choked back tears as she discussed the shooting, saying it was important for her not to skip the parade. "There is risk in this life and we're not going to let hate win," she said. "We've got to be amongst the family today. Everybody is suffering. I think we all kind of want to be together today." In Orlando, leaders of groups that service LGBT residents announced an effort to raise money for the victims of the shooting had amassed more than $430,000 within hours. "We will love and support the victims even as we join to eradicate the hatred that lies at the core of this violence," said Mary Meeks, a prominent Florida civil rights lawyer. Gay Pride parades in cities across the United States have grown out of the marches in 1969 protesting the police raids at the Stonewall Inn, a long-standing New York City bar that served gay people who were otherwise ostracized from society. Rebecca Triglianos and Nicole Martin, a couple from Irvington, New York, contemplated the growing pile of flowers on Sunday outside the bar, a designated National Historic Landmark for its role in the gay-rights movement. "This is a meeting space, we came here to celebrate marriage equality so we would come here to mourn a loss as well," said Triglianos, referring to the jubilant crowds that spontaneously gathered at the Greenwich Village bar a year ago to celebrate the Supreme Court's marriage decision. Obama evoked the important role that bars and nightclubs have played in gay American life in his somber remarks on the attack at Pulse. "The place where they were attacked is more than a nightclub," he said. "It is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their civil rights." Some older Americans recalled the widespread public indifference that greeted the early years of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, in which thousands of gay men died, and saw in the outpouring of sympathy following Sunday's attack a welcome sign of changed times. "The younger gay community has never really witnessed anything as devastating on the community as the older community did with HIV," said Raymond Michael Sharpe, 55, a bartender at another Orlando gay club. "This time, we have the support of the whole world behind us, thank God."

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Opinion: Will Pride Month do more than just rainbow colouring of displays?

Gay Americans shaken by Orlando mass shooting