If you told Rahul Patil a year ago that he would be marching without a mask for ‘Trikone: South Asians for equality’ in the upcoming Mardi Gras parade, he would never have believed you.
He had been hiding his identity, until his home country of India decriminalised the LGBTIQ+ community.
But in a landmark ruling on the 6th September 2018, India’s Supreme Court overturned the colonial-era law - and Mr Patil felt free.
“Last year [at the Sydney Mardi Gras], I was undercover,” Mr Patil told SBS.
“Although I wanted to participate and support my community, for personal reasons I was forced to wear a mask because I didn’t want to reveal my face.”
This year, Sydney's Mardi Gras parade will be different for him.
“It’s really special this year because I’m going to be revealing who I am. A lot has changed in 2018 [in India] and I’m happy to be out there and show everyone my face. I’m not afraid of anyone [anymore].”
With the Section 377 verdict bringing strength to the South Asian LGBTIQ+ community in Australia, Mr Patil says the legalisation has shifted his family’s perception.
“377 brought the discussion into everyone’s house,” said Mr Patil.
“I took a trip back to India where my family lives. I sat my Mum and Dad down and then I came out to them. That changed the whole scenario for me.”
Marching with the ‘Trikone: South-Asians for equality’ float again this year, Mr Patil has found a supportive community who understand his values and culture.
“I came to Australia seven years ago and that was the first thing I went out looking for; my community and my people who would understand what my background is.”
A float for the South Asian LGBTIQ+ community
With Bollywood music, bare feet and an array of colourful scarves, Trikone's last dress rehearsal before the parade is an irrepressible expression of pride and euphoria.
Founded in 2007, this year’s Mardi Gras float is at full capacity.
Members of the Trikone float will not wear masks this year following India's decriminalisation. Source: Guru photography
“We have 80 people who signed up in record time to march with us because everyone feels that they have something to celebrate,” Trikone Chair, Kunal Mirchandani told SBS.
Everyone is very emboldened by the historic win…everyone has taken [the decriminalisation] to really empower themselves and gain that confidence to be who they are without fear of repercussions or being ostracised.”
Until this year, many of Trikone’s South-Asian LGBTIQ+ community were masked during the parade.
“The mask was a symbol of fear…A symbol of cowering to the law,” said Mr. Mirchandani.
“But since that law has been repealed and there’s no criminality for being who you are, the masks are off.”
Trikone chair, Kunal Mirchandani at Mardi Gras in 2018. Source: Karthik Sharma
But according to Mr Mirchandani, India’s LGBTIQ+ rights must continue to improve.
“It’s a long way to go until same sex marriage [and] until a lot of transgender laws are repealed as well,” said Mr Mirchandani.
“The fight is far from over but if we don’t stop to celebrate then there is nothing to motivate us to go forward.”
A wedding: Post-decriminalisation in India
This is the case for Nareen Yasin and Payel Ray from Kolkata.
They wed in Sydney last year, a month after the milestone September 6th decision in India.
“We have been together for 24 years,” Ms Ray told SBS.
“That’s a whole journey during the decriminalisation process [in India]…It took all these years, through ups and downs, [but] we finally got it."
Nasreen Yasin and Payel Ray at their wedding in October 2018. Source: Supplied
Marching at Kolkata Pride in December last year, Dr Yasin noticed a striking change in comparison to pre-decriminalisation India.
“No one was wearing a mask,” Dr Yasin told SBS.
“They were fearless…We felt a justice was done and we felt very proud.”
Although Dr Yasin and Ms Ray’s families are accepting of their relationship, some are not as fortunate.
Celebrating a first Sydney Mardi Gras
Aditya Raj has not felt acceptance from his family for 8 years.
“Growing up [in Jaipur], I was really close to my mother,” Mr Raj told SBS.
“She would have supported me in literally everything. The one thing she used to tell me was: ‘even if you murder someone, come and tell me, I’ll protect you."
But the moment it became about Mr Raj’s sexuality, they refused to support him.
Aditya Raj at his exhibition 'Refracted Lives', organised by the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Visual Arts program. Source: SBS
With his father working for the police force, Mr. Raj says for him, “this was not just a sin; it was also illegal in our country.”
“That was one of the first things he told me, he said: ‘we put people behind bars for these things so how are you ok [with] doing this.’”
His mother had other concerns.
“My mother went to the extent of saying, ‘your sisters are not going to get married and find good grooms because they will find out you are gay and they wouldn’t want to associate with our family.’”
Although Mr. Raj identifies the decriminalisation in India as a first step, he says the social stigma remains the same.
“It [decriminalisation] happened through the Supreme Court, so the majority of people [in India] still think the same; that it’s not ok and it’s against the art of nature,” Mr. Raj said.
“If [the vote] was put to the people, it wouldn’t have passed through.”
Estimating that 95% of people living in rural India do not accept the LGBTIQ+ community, Mr Raj cites a lack of information and education as the reason behind “a lot of hatred [and] a lot of stigma.”
But he’s excited to be in Sydney for his first Mardi Gras parade.
“I’m used to attending Delhi pride parade, which is 2000 odd people every year walking together,” said Mr Raj.
“Most of the people who are looking at us [in Delhi] either don’t understand it or [they are] people who are not ok with it. So it’ll be very different [here] where everyone is cheering at you instead of looking at you with a question mark.”
Mr Raj hopes India will change to become more like Australia.
“Just walking through Oxford Street, [I was] thinking, maybe one day something [like this] will happen in India too."
