In Solidarity: A Pride March That Brought Inclusion to the Streets
Reclaiming mobility, dignity, and visibility through 3rd Kanpur Queer Pride March
Streets are more than just routes, they shape how safely and freely we exist in our cities. For many in the LGBTQIA+ community, everyday mobility is tied to dignity, visibility, and the right to belong.
On 9 November 2025, a stretch of Kanpur, from Nana Rao Park to the IMA Building, became a space of collective assertion. Over 100 participants, including queer community members, youth, civil society organisations, and allies, came together to demand safe, inclusive, and discrimination-free access to public spaces, education, employment, and mobility.
The march reflected lived realities. Participants highlighted everyday challenges, harassment in buses and shared transport, lack of gender-inclusive facilities, and constant fear of judgement in public spaces. For many, especially trans and non-binary individuals, these barriers extend beyond mobility, limiting access to jobs, healthcare, and education, while social stigma and lack of acceptance deepen exclusion.
Organised by the SUMC partner organisation, Kanpur Queer Welfare Foundation, and joined in solidarity by the Harit Safar team, the march reimagined the streets as spaces of inclusion and resistance. It brought together voices, stories, and experiences that are often pushed to the margins, turning the act of walking together into a powerful form of advocacy.
A step towards cities where everyone can move with safety, confidence, and dignity.
