GAY IN: MUMBAI - A LGBTQ+ TRAVEL GUIDE - Our Taste For Life

Contents:

• A COLOURFUL LGBTQ GUI TO MUMBAI | © ARTCOLLI/YOUTUBE SRIVI NAMBIAR 05 OCTOBER 2016 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT MUMBAI’S LGBTQ CROWD IS DYNAMIC AND VERY ACTIVE, YET MOSTLY UNRGROUND. WH HOMOSEXUALY STILL BEG CRIMALIZED INDIA, THE CY HAS A LONG WAY TO GO TO BEG SAFER FOR S LGBTQ MUNY. YET MUMBAI HAS A LARGE LGBTQ CROWD – ANIZG PARTI, FILM FTIVALS AND PARAS – WH SEVERAL OPENLY GAY FIGUR, CLUDG BOLLYWOOD CELEBRI. IN 2009, THE DELHI HIGH COURT REPEALED A LONIAL-ERA LAW WHICH CRIMALIZED HOMOSEXUAL ACTS. THIS PROMPTED AN URGENTLY NEED YET SLOW SURGE PUBLIC STUTNS TERG SPECIFILLY TO LGBTQ CIZENS THROUGHOUT THE UNTRY, CLUDG MUMBAI. AZAAD BAZAAR, THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBT PRI STORE OPENED BANDRA 2009, WHEREAS D’KLOSET, THE CY’S FIRST GAY FASHN STORE OPENED BANDRA 2010. YET, A MASSIVE BLOW, THE UNTRY’S SUPREME COURT OF INDIA RE-CRIMALIZED HOMOSEXUALY 2013. AND, EVEN THOUGH SUPPORT FOR THE CRIMALIZATN OF HOMOSEXUALY HAS EMERGED OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY, CLUDG OM MISTERS OM THE CURRENT ERNMENT POWER, ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN SEEKG TO REVERSE THE URT’S CISN SCE. VIEW ALL TRIPS TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP ICELAND GREECE MEXI JAPAN SPA INDIA THAILAND ECUADOR CROATIA BALI SOUTH AI MOROC EGYPT TURKEY REGARDLS, MUMBAI IS A CY MTED TO CREATG SAFE SPAC FOR S LGBTQ MUNY. THE CY STILL LACKS OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED GAY BARS OR CLUBS. HOWEVER, QUE A FEW BARS AND PUBS ACROSS THE CY HOST SPECIAL THEMED NIGHTS. KTY SU ANDHERI AND LIQUID LOUNGE VERSOVA ARE AMONG THE FEW WHICH EQUENTLY FEATURE THEMED NIGHTS SPECIALLY TERG TO THE LGBTQ MUNY. EPIC MOROCCO FROM ANCIENT CI TO THE SAHARA, EMBRACE CULTURAL RICH AND ENCHANTG LANDSP NORTH AI. VIEW TRIP THE CY’S PRI PARA IS AMONG THE UNTRY’S MOST VIBRANT AND DYNAMIC. HAVG FEATURED MOVIE SCREENGS, FLASH MOB, PLAYS, MEET-THE-THOR PROGRAMS, DRAG SHOWS AND STREET PERFORMANC THE PAST, EVERY YEAR THE QUEER AZAADI MUMBAI PRI MARCH SE THOANDS OF QUEER DIVIDUALS TAKE PART AND WALK TO MAND AND ASSERT THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS OF EQUALY THE EY OF LAW AND SOCIETY. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. THE KASHISH MUMBAI INTERNATNAL QUEER FILM FTIVAL IS AMONG THE CY’S MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL EVENTS. STARTED 2010 AFTER THE DELHI HIGH COURT LG, KASHISH SCREENS FEATUR, SHORT FILMS, DOCUMENTARI, AND EXPERIMENTAL FILMS THAT HIGHLIGHT GAY, LBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENR CHARACTERS AND STORI. WH THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATN OF BOLLYWOOD AND A STELLAR TURNOUT EVERY YEAR, KASHISH IS ONE OF THE BT CELEBRATNS OF CEMA THE CY. GAY BOMBAY, AN LGBT GROUP THAT WAS FOUND 1998, HAS A LARGE FOLLOWG AND REGULARLY HOSTS PARTI AND MEETUPS THE CY. THEY EVEN HOST FILM SCREENGS, AS WELL AS PIICS AND TREKS OUT OF THE CY. SALVATN STAR IS ANOTHER SUCH GROUP WHICH HOSTS GLOR, WELL-ATTEND PARTI, MIC NIGHTS AND OTHER EVENTS FOR THE CY’S LGBT CROWD. QUEER INK, THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBTQIH ONLE BOOKSTORE, ALSO HAS A SMALL BOOKSTORE ANDHERI. THE STORE IS HOED WH THE OFFICE OF THE HUMSAFAR TST, INDIA’S FIRST LGBT MUNY-BASED ANIZATN WORKG AREAS OF HEALTH, ADVOCY, PACY BUILDG AND REARCH. VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
• LGBT INDIA: WHAT 'S LIKE SIX MONTHS AFTER GAY SEX WAS CRIMALISED
• INDIA INC’S ‘CLOSET CEILG’: MOST GAY PEOPLE LEADG DUAL LIV
• GAY : MUMBAI – A LGBTQ+ TRAVEL GUI
• GAY SNA/PUBS INDIA - LGBTQIA+ TRAVEL FOM
• GAY MUMBAI BARS, SERVIC AND HOTELS
• DELHI GAY TRAVEL

A COLOURFUL LGBTQ GUI TO MUMBAI | © ARTCOLLI/YOUTUBE SRIVI NAMBIAR 05 OCTOBER 2016 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT MUMBAI’S LGBTQ CROWD IS DYNAMIC AND VERY ACTIVE, YET MOSTLY UNRGROUND. WH HOMOSEXUALY STILL BEG CRIMALIZED INDIA, THE CY HAS A LONG WAY TO GO TO BEG SAFER FOR S LGBTQ MUNY. YET MUMBAI HAS A LARGE LGBTQ CROWD – ANIZG PARTI, FILM FTIVALS AND PARAS – WH SEVERAL OPENLY GAY FIGUR, CLUDG BOLLYWOOD CELEBRI. IN 2009, THE DELHI HIGH COURT REPEALED A LONIAL-ERA LAW WHICH CRIMALIZED HOMOSEXUAL ACTS. THIS PROMPTED AN URGENTLY NEED YET SLOW SURGE PUBLIC STUTNS TERG SPECIFILLY TO LGBTQ CIZENS THROUGHOUT THE UNTRY, CLUDG MUMBAI. AZAAD BAZAAR, THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBT PRI STORE OPENED BANDRA 2009, WHEREAS D’KLOSET, THE CY’S FIRST GAY FASHN STORE OPENED BANDRA 2010. YET, A MASSIVE BLOW, THE UNTRY’S SUPREME COURT OF INDIA RE-CRIMALIZED HOMOSEXUALY 2013. AND, EVEN THOUGH SUPPORT FOR THE CRIMALIZATN OF HOMOSEXUALY HAS EMERGED OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY, CLUDG OM MISTERS OM THE CURRENT ERNMENT POWER, ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN SEEKG TO REVERSE THE URT’S CISN SCE. VIEW ALL TRIPS TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP ICELAND GREECE MEXI JAPAN SPA INDIA THAILAND ECUADOR CROATIA BALI SOUTH AI MOROC EGYPT TURKEY REGARDLS, MUMBAI IS A CY MTED TO CREATG SAFE SPAC FOR S LGBTQ MUNY. THE CY STILL LACKS OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED GAY BARS OR CLUBS. HOWEVER, QUE A FEW BARS AND PUBS ACROSS THE CY HOST SPECIAL THEMED NIGHTS. KTY SU ANDHERI AND LIQUID LOUNGE VERSOVA ARE AMONG THE FEW WHICH EQUENTLY FEATURE THEMED NIGHTS SPECIALLY TERG TO THE LGBTQ MUNY. EPIC MOROCCO FROM ANCIENT CI TO THE SAHARA, EMBRACE CULTURAL RICH AND ENCHANTG LANDSP NORTH AI. VIEW TRIP THE CY’S PRI PARA IS AMONG THE UNTRY’S MOST VIBRANT AND DYNAMIC. HAVG FEATURED MOVIE SCREENGS, FLASH MOB, PLAYS, MEET-THE-THOR PROGRAMS, DRAG SHOWS AND STREET PERFORMANC THE PAST, EVERY YEAR THE QUEER AZAADI MUMBAI PRI MARCH SE THOANDS OF QUEER DIVIDUALS TAKE PART AND WALK TO MAND AND ASSERT THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS OF EQUALY THE EY OF LAW AND SOCIETY. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. THE KASHISH MUMBAI INTERNATNAL QUEER FILM FTIVAL IS AMONG THE CY’S MOST IMPORTANT CULTURAL EVENTS. STARTED 2010 AFTER THE DELHI HIGH COURT LG, KASHISH SCREENS FEATUR, SHORT FILMS, DOCUMENTARI, AND EXPERIMENTAL FILMS THAT HIGHLIGHT GAY, LBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENR CHARACTERS AND STORI. WH THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATN OF BOLLYWOOD AND A STELLAR TURNOUT EVERY YEAR, KASHISH IS ONE OF THE BT CELEBRATNS OF CEMA THE CY. GAY BOMBAY, AN LGBT GROUP THAT WAS FOUND 1998, HAS A LARGE FOLLOWG AND REGULARLY HOSTS PARTI AND MEETUPS THE CY. THEY EVEN HOST FILM SCREENGS, AS WELL AS PIICS AND TREKS OUT OF THE CY. SALVATN STAR IS ANOTHER SUCH GROUP WHICH HOSTS GLOR, WELL-ATTEND PARTI, MIC NIGHTS AND OTHER EVENTS FOR THE CY’S LGBT CROWD. QUEER INK, THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBTQIH ONLE BOOKSTORE, ALSO HAS A SMALL BOOKSTORE ANDHERI. THE STORE IS HOED WH THE OFFICE OF THE HUMSAFAR TST, INDIA’S FIRST LGBT MUNY-BASED ANIZATN WORKG AREAS OF HEALTH, ADVOCY, PACY BUILDG AND REARCH. VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Text 'GAYTRAVEL' to 1-800-GAY-TRAVEL (1-800-429-8728).

— Travel Guis wh a Gay Perspective. Gay Mumbai.

LGBT INDIA: WHAT 'S LIKE SIX MONTHS AFTER GAY SEX WAS CRIMALISED

Mumbai Gay Scene. However, many lol gay hotspots aren’t published so ’s bt to do some rearch before travelg here. There are several webs and sourc onle where you n disver any upg gay parti or events.

Sce 2010, the film ftival screens gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr and queer films om India and around the world.

INDIA INC’S ‘CLOSET CEILG’: MOST GAY PEOPLE LEADG DUAL LIV

Gay-Friendly Activi & Attractns.

Gay-Friendly Dg.

GAY : MUMBAI – A LGBTQ+ TRAVEL GUI

Gay-Friendly Bars & Nightlife. While there is not a specifc gay neighborhood, and any of the LGBTQ parti and events are unrground, there are some gay-iendly spots popular wh both lols and tourists. Across India, don’t be surprised to see men holdg hands the streets, although should never be assumed that they’re gay.

India crimalized homosexualy 2018. Through our own viss and those of the handful of LGBTQ+ tour operators who lead trips there, India is hospable and welg to all visors – cludg gay or lbian upl or groups.

In September 2018, homosexualy was ma legal India once aga after was crimalized 2013 and prevly crimalized 2009.

GAY SNA/PUBS INDIA - LGBTQIA+ TRAVEL FOM

One aspect of lol life that often surpris gay visors to India is the open affectn that Indian men display wh other men. They are not gay, nor a relatnship. We terviewed several gay tour operators cludg Bryan Herb om Zoom Vatns (listed as a rource below), Robert Sharp om Out Adventur, and Zach Mos om HE Travel, who have equently traveled to India, and they all report feelg credibly wele.

GAY MUMBAI BARS, SERVIC AND HOTELS

That said, tour operators who've brought many LGBTQ+ guts to India, report that beg gay is simply a non-issue.

For LGBTQ+ travelers, there is a ltle more plex sce homosexualy is technilly illegal. Wh homosexualy still beg crimalized India, the cy has a long way to go to beg safer for s LGBTQ muny.

DELHI GAY TRAVEL

Yet Mumbai has a large LGBTQ crowd – anizg parti, film ftivals and paras – wh several openly gay figur, cludg Bollywood celebri. In 2009, the Delhi High Court repealed a lonial-era law which crimalized homosexual acts.

Azaad Bazaar, the untry’s first LGBT pri store opened Bandra 2009, whereas D’Kloset, the cy’s first gay fashn store opened Bandra 2010. Yet, a massive blow, the untry’s Supreme Court of India re-crimalized homosexualy 2013. And, even though support for the crimalizatn of homosexualy has emerged om all over the untry, cludg om Misters om the current ernment power, activists have been seekg to reverse the urt’s cisn sce.

The cy still lacks officially acknowledged gay bars or clubs.