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Pride Stories - Faraz Arif Ansari

Pride Stories – Faraz Arif Ansari

In our third edition of Pride Stories we speak to Indian film director Faraz Arif Ansari. This is a story of greater inclusion, broader love and getting woke. In our six-part series, we’re covering every color of the Pride flag and touching on as many varied and diverse perspectives as we can squeeze into the collection. In part one, we spoke to Mr. Leather Ireland and part two was Asis D’Orange in Israel. In our upcoming editions we travel to The Netherlands, Australia, and America.


RELATED: Pride: From Protest to Celebration


Today’s story comes from the award winning, queer film director, Faraz Arif Ansari in India.

Pride Stories - Faraz Arif Ansari

Decriminalized Homosexuality – India

“As I sit down to write a piece to celebrate Pride in 2019, the heart is overwhelmed, but there is also a bittersweet feeling gnawing within. India decriminalized homosexuality on 6th of September, 2018 – a day before I turned 32. Almost everyone said that to me, “You couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift,” as they wished me well on this historic day. However, as I read the verdict over and over again, along with a strange comfort, it also brought waves of fear into my heart. I feared for everyone who does not have the same access and privileges that I do. Privilege — a subject that is oftentimes ignored when one talks about the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Pride Stories - Faraz Arif Ansari

Pride And Safe-Spaces

“As we joyously celebrate Pride around the world, please remember the lesser privileged queer and trans folks that do not have a safe-space. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to be a party-pooper, but I’m just aware enough to realize my privilege – access to a loving home, a comfortable lifestyle, and a community that will rejoice in my freedom and sexuality because of privilege. While we, the privileged queer folks, celebrate Pride, please remember that equal rights are far from being achieved for a large part of our queer and trans family across the globe.”

Pride Stories - Faraz Arif Ansari

The Braver Fight

“For us, winning the legal battle in India has been the stepping-stone to a fight that will take a lot of life and love from us – individually as well as collectively. I strongly feel that this isn’t a time to retreat. It is the time to put up a braver fight for queer inclusion and representation across all mediums and platforms. It is also the time to agitate against police violence, against societal pressures and dogmas that make our day-to-day living conditions excruciatingly difficult. To make efforts to stop families from hurting and harming their queer and transgender children. To provide protection and shelter to homeless queer and trans folks. A time to remember that the fight for true inclusion and diversity has only just begun, and to truly win this, we will all have to unite.”

Pride Stories - Faraz Arif Ansari

Symbolic Pride

“As you celebrate Pride, take a moment to remember our queer and trans brothers and sisters, who have been lost forever fighting this battle for acceptance and inclusion, so that today we could live with Pride. This is the time for all of us to step out of our comfort zones. The time to stand together and fight for the oppressed that fail to find a voice, because of the existing societal mechanisms, racial profiling and discrimination, especially with queer people of color (QPoC). As we celebrate the symbolism of this year’s Pride, do not forget to mull over the long road ahead to true freedom and equality. Do not forget the endless battles, both inner and outer, that await all of us for the greater good of our universal queer family. But for now, let us all take a moment to celebrate our queerness — Happy Pride, indeed! May we continue to bloom under the marvellous rainbows and spread love, with love, for love.”

“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” – Dylan Thomas

Pride Playlist – Faraz Arif Ansari

Queer Careers

We previously spoke to Faraz about his ground breaking queer film work in India in our Queer Careers section.

Pride Stories - Faraz Arif Ansari

Faraz on Twitter

PRIDE Stories – Darling Peter

The next color of the Pride flag is green, and we’ll be featuring Darling Peter, the gorgeous DJ, public figure, and club promoter from The Netherlands. Remember him from our Eurovision party?

(Coming soon.)


What does Pride mean to you?

Send your story to social@planetromeo.com.

Other Stories

Pride Stories – Fionn Scott , Mr. Leather Ireland

Pride Stories – Asis D’Orange, Gender Blending Fashionista

 

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We’re happy to present some open editorials here to stimulate thought or initiate a conversation. But just because we share something, doesn’t always mean we agree with it; more that we think it’s worth thinking about.