Celebrating Pride Month in its full glory
The celebrations this Pride Month could be a bit subdued due to the pandemic but the spirits are as high as ever. Activists, students, and NGOs working for the cause of the LGBTQ are celebrating the community in their own ways.
Along with them are brands, which are giving the community a stage. Shanti Banaras, a Varanasi based apparel brand has featured transgenders in their latest saree shoot to mark the beginning of the Pride Month. “My mother-in- law closely works with the transgender community empower them. When we designed our new saris, we thought of asking our translife gender friends to showcase the range. Every day, they fight to make their presence felt in the society. Our campaign celebrates their triumph. We want to create an equal world,” says Amrit Shah, co-founder of the brand. When credible brands lend their voices to causes that matter, it brings about dialogue, says Navya Suhas of Bhima jewellery. The brand released an ad talking about the acceptance of LGBTQ in the society, which went viral. “Instead of just adding to the already overly done jewelry advertisements that we can see, we thought of doing something that is a value in substance. I hope other brands also become inclusive and socially responsible. I hope that in the future, acceptance is normalized and we don’t have to specifically talk about issues like these,” says Suhas. Another brand, True Browns that sells sustainable clothing is offering a discount of 10% on the code PRIDE.
Actor Katrina Kaif’s brand is also celebrating the month with heartfelt posts. “We stand together. Let’s embrace love and the capability it has to bring us all closer to one another. During these unprecedented times of pain and loss in the, let the power of love strengthen us” says one of the posts.
Gaming brand LEGO also launched its first LGBTQ themed set creating the hues of rainbow, while UNO, another gaming brand got a pride makeover this Pride Month. Their cards say, “Play With Pride”.