Fridae

June 29 will go down as a day in Indian history as she witnesses her first ever gay pride march, reports the Hindustan Times. Christened 'Walk on the Rainbow,' the march is being held to commemorate the June 27, 1969 Stonewall Riots at New York's Greenwich Village - an event that was a turning point for the global gay rights movement.

Organised by Integration Society, an organisation that has been working with lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT) for several decades, the march in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) will commence from the Park Circus Maidan at 7am and make its way to Dhakuria Lake.

The march is also supported by LGBT India, a network of more than a hundred organisations working for sexual minorities in the country.

"We expect a few hundred people to take part. Apart from LGBT members, people from all walks of life who support freedom of sexual choice are being invited," Integration Society secretary Rafiquel Haque Dowjah said. He believes the march will create awareness and increase tolerance towards the LGBT community.

The three weakend long programme will also include a panel discussion and several performance arts events.

In June 1999, the Integration Society organised a smaller scaled event including a walk and a press conference.