In 1999, June was declared Pride as Month to commemorate the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community in the US. In the same month, the Stonewall riots broke out in the country in 1969. While people in the US celebrated 30 years of its first Pride Movement, India held its first Pride Parade in Kolkata on July 2, 1999. But every year, you can see brands across the globe putting a rainbow behind their logos and posting ads and creative showcasing that they are inclusive.
In a recent conversation with HerZindagi, Prarthana Prasad, a video creator (shorthairedbrownqueer) on Instagram and Cosmopolitan’s LGBTQIA+ voice of the year, got candid about these superficial campaigns and discussed how they remain on the surface and extract benefits from the pride month without dwelling into real problems of the community.
Superficial Campaigns
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”When you include diverse groups or hire LGBTQ+ people, in the long run, it helps to drive profits,” she added.
However, many brands try to create their presence on social media by starting superficial campaigns in June. She added that hardly any of these brands spoke about marriage equality that was being discussed at such a large scale in the Supreme Court of India. However, June hit us, and their marketing strategies turned around.
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The best way to understand if a brand is genuinely inclusive is to see how they have addressed LGBTQ+ issues throughout the year. She also pointed out that pride month is an American concept, whereas, a lot of Indian cities don't necessarily have a pride march in June.
It points to the reality of how these brands function. “Where is the real connection with the community? You are just using our stories for marketing,” she added.
Visibility Is Not Going To Get Us Far Unless We Dwell Into Real Issues
“One thing you can always appreciate is when visibility is created around the subject,” Prarthana said while speaking about how brands said they are at least starting the conversation around the LGBTQ+ community and offering them a platform to be visible.
She also added that the brands have a huge responsibility when it comes to representation, whether they admit it or not. “When they talk about the LGBTQ+ community, it is all superficial,” she added.
She pointed out that as a country, Indian society is conservative, and the LGBTQ+ community is struggling a lot. Whether it is education, constitutional rights, employment, healthcare, etc. we have not been able to provide for the basic needs. “There is a long way to go,” she added.
Prarthana added that these brands would never comment on politics or talk about the real issues. At the end of the day, their intention is only to make as much profit as they can. All these are ‘too controversial’ for them. If they talk about sad things and real issues, it will not help them get to like and sell their products.
“When the majority of the campaigns are like this (superficial), you wonder how much visibility is going to help,” Prarthanasaid.
Gender-Neutral Fashion Is About Convenience
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“Whenever I have thought about gender-neutral fashion, it is more about convenience for me,” Prarthanasaid while speaking about clothing brands that have stereotypes for men and women.
She added that while you can pick a men’s shirt, it would feel soft, but most of the women’s clothing seems inconvenient. For example, a white T-shirt would be see-through, pants would not have pockets or feature small ones that cannot carry mobile phones, the fabric seems itchy and uncomfortable, and every store has a different size guide.
These brands lack options because they create clothes following a narrow idea of how the human body should look like. Therefore, for Prarthana, neutral fashion is all about convenience.
Acceptance Is Driven By Socio-Economic Factors
Women are often told what to wear, how to dress, etc. Similarly, men are often told to be masculine and macho. Speaking on the subject, Parsad said that acceptance has a lot to do with socio-economic factors.
For example, a woman in an urban area can get away with dressing in clothes that have traditionally been associated with men, while someone in a rural area might not wear anything but traditional feminine clothes.
She also added that in many areas it is easy for women to wear men’s clothes, however, if a man wants to dress in a feminine style of clothing, it could be difficult for them to get by without people passing comments or harassing them.
Gender-Bias In Society
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Speaking about her childhood, she said, “In a classroom full of kids, I would definitely be very different from any of them because, from a very young age, I had a strong sense of self.” She added that while parents think they can beat up their kids and pester them to do so, children already have a personality. They know themselves.
“I already had likes and dislikes even at a young age,” she added. When her parents made her wear frocks or asked her to grow her hair, she would feel uncomfortable. She would throw tantrums and would want to wear clothes like her brother.
She said that there were girls who liked wearing such clothes, jewellery, or other feminine stuff. “The problem is not with masculinity or femininity. It is trying to tell that women have to be feminine and men have to be masculine,” she added.
She was told what to wear, how to talk, how to sit, and not play with other certain kids because she was a girl. “I got no better explanation other than ‘you are a girl’,” she added.
The idea of relationships and crushes started when she was in high school. Growing up, Prarthanaunderstood that she was attracted to girls. She said that she had access to the internet, so she searched about it and learnt the meaning of lesbian (Pride Palette).
She shared that she came out to her friends and family, who were supportive of her. Prarthana shared that for many people coming out can be a life-and-death sort of situation if they do not receive the love and support of their loved ones.
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Societal Norms Are Stronger Than Love Or Hate
Speaking about struggling internally, Prarthana said that she felt different only because society told her she was different and there was no one else like her. “Societal norms are very very very very strong. I think they are the strongest thing in the world. They are stronger than love and hate. They can make you want to kill someone or even hate your child,” she added
She said that this is why a lot of LGBTQIA+ folks have a similar experience of feeling different and accepting themselves.
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Rainbow-Coloured Kurta Symbolised Freedom
Image Courtesy: Instagram/Prarthana Prasad
In September 2018, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that considers consensual relationships between a same-sex couple a criminal offence. Prarthanawas in the third year of her college when it happened.
She wanted to celebrate that day, but nobody knew that she identified with the LGBTQIA+ community. She took out her white kurta and hand-painted it in rainbow colours in her room. She went to her college to participate in an event, where she heard people pointing at her and talking in hushed tones.
“I think it was really fun. It was the nicest thing I have done for myself,” she added.
Stay tuned to HerZindagi for more such stories.
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