“Article 377 Hai! Hai!” (Down with on Article 377) roars the colourful melee of kothis, transgender men and women and other members of Kolkata’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

The unsuspecting crowd of Sunday shoppers around College Square blinks in disbelief. A visibly appalled middle-aged lady drags her pubescent daughter away. A bhodrolok in crisp dhoti grabs a flier explaining the agenda of the 7th Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk, while a group of taxi-drivers leer with ‘gay’ abandon. But that doesn’t intimidate Revathi. In silver tights and a black tank top, this spunky crossdresser from Kalyani is dressed to kill. “Why shouldn’t I dress the way I want to? I’m here to fight for my rights” she asserts.

A week before the crucial July 2 hearing of a petition against Section 377 (which among other things dubs any homosexual act as illegal) filed by Naz Foundation (India) Trust, New Delhi and other civil society agencies in 2001, hundreds have gathered around College Street to participate in the parade that takes place around June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots, a pivotal moment in the gay rights movement. Fab India kurtas jostle for space amidst sexy bodysuits, while zardozi salwar suits make a meek appearance. It’s Gay pride march, Kolkata ishtyle.

“This is a crucial week. The petition against Section 377 seeks a decriminalization of adult consensual same-sex relations, arguing that the law encroaches upon a person’s democratic rights, goes against the spirit of the Indian Constitution and impedes life-saving sexual health work among sexual minorities,” says Pawan Dhall of SAATHII, one of the organisers of the walk.

As Dhall enthusiastically distributes fliers around, he points out a marked difference in crowd behaviour. “Earlier people would just walk away without paying any attention to us. But today they somehow seem to be more keen on hearing us out,” he beams. Indeed, some bystanders actually take the pain of coming to the volunteers and asking — “Yeh kya ho raha hai bhaisaab? (What’s happening?), Banglay leaflet nei? (Don’t you have a flier in Bengali).

“Haven’t the policemen been extremely professional?” exults Smarpan Sen, a student of Jadavpur University, and a first-time participant. Before you can point out that it is their duty to take care of things, a beaming Sen is already expressing his heartfelt gratitude to a stoic policeman. A few paces away, the Northern Black Rose group from Siliguri, is making its presence felt. “We have a very vibrant LGBT community in North Bengal. Our effort is to make things easier for anyone who wants to come out and lead life differently,” says Shouvik Ghoshal, secretary of the group.

Soon, the imposing façade of the Metropolitan Building looms before us. We have reached our destination, Chowringhee. Banners are held high, a makeshift stage constructed and agitated voices crackle through the megaphone. Experiences are shared and bonds of solidarity strengthened. With a solemn promise to fight the Section 377, the crowd disperses. But the media is rightly ticked off. “All through the walk, photographers from different media houses approached us and asked us to pose provocatively for the camera. Why do they have such a cliched attitude?” asks Dhall. Why indeed.