Sakshi, founder, Gaysi Family. (Right) Rafiul Alom Rahman, founder, The Queer Muslim Project.

Rafiul Alom Rahman, the founder of The Queer Muslim Project and the curator of Digital Pride Festival, says that during the Coronavirus public health crisis, a rise in mental health concerns have emerged, especially among queer communities. "Many are forced to live with unsupportive families and can't meet their chosen ones. The idea behind Digital Pride Festival was to give them a ray of hope and build a virtual community which can function as a safe space. We also wanted to highlight the efforts of LGBTQIA+ people who have been putting content out during the lockdown, for others to consume and feel comforted."

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A queer person who wished to remain anonymous agreed with Rahman. "I have been feeling isolated given that I am not out to my family. Even though I can't meet my friends from the community, I have been participating in digital events. They make me feel less alone."

Here, we curate a list of events to attend and pages to visit before Pride Month wraps up. Whether you are queer or an ally, turn up and connect.

Head To A Queer Carnival

Durga Gawde and Roshini Kumar

Put your (queer) party hat on and witness glorious drag acts and performances by Lush Monsoon, Durga Gawde, Dame Imfala, Rahul Manhas, Miss Bhenji Magic Prat, Shivali Chhetri and Glorious Luna. Sundar Chan is DJ for the evening, and the event will be hosted by Roshini Kumar.
When: June 28, 6:30 PM
Where: Zoom.us
Price: R500
Contact: @glorius_luna or @rosh93, Instagram

Sing With Sushant

Sushant Divgikr. Pic/Sushant Divgikar, Facebook

Tune in for a glorious celebration of music with Sushant Divgikr. He is a model, actor, performer and singer. This musical pride party is being hosted by Rolling Stone India. A donation link will be sent to you after you register and all proceeds will go to the Humsafar Trust's COVID-19 relief fund.
When: June 28, 6 PM
Where: Zoom.us
Contact: @rollingstonein, Instagram
Free

Watch Videos Of Acceptance

A same sex couple from Manipur, Deepika Naorem and Jocelyn Akoijam, cut their wedding cake

Explore Nazariya's campaign, Compassionately Yours. It features stories of acceptance. They have created a series of short videos about the personal journeys of heterosexual and cis gendered parents, siblings, friends and partners of queer people, loving and supporting them.
Where: @nazariya.qfrg, Instagram and Nazariya: A Queer Feminist Resource Group, Facebook

Create Art Through Poems

Praveen Kumar

Translate poetry into art with Praveen Kumar. Kumar is a visual artist who specialises in portraiture, illustration and moving images, using water colour, charcoal and pen. The session will be about creating emotional responses to poetry and then expressing them on paper with artistic tools of one's choice.
When: June 29, 6 PM
Where: @gaysifamily, Instagram
Free

Attend A Rainbow Talk

Dr Prasad Raj Dandekar

Hear Dr Prasad Raj Dandekar speak at Pride Story. He is an oncologist and the founder of Health Professionals for Queer Indians. The interactive session is being organised by Listen works.
When: June 28, 5 PM
Where: Zoom.us
Register: bit.ly/2AzESNq
Contact: listenworks. connect@gmail.com
Free

Groove To Quaran-Tunes

Jay Anand

Take it easy with musician Jay Anand, an acoustic pop rock artist. Anand is an acoustic guitarist, singer, songwriter, and educator. He likes to talk about human relationships and vulnerabilities through his cross-genre compositions.
When: June 30, 6 PM
Where: @gaysifamily, Instagram
Free

Visit A Queer Art Festival

Alisha Pais

Catch film screenings, a photo series, music and art showcases at the Queer Art Festival. The festival is brought to you by Social. It has been curated by One Future Collective and features rainbow powerhouses like Alisha Pais, who is sure to serenade you with her husky vocals while masterfully strumming the guitar.
When: June 28 onwards
Where: @onefuturecollective, Instagram
Free

Seat At A Roundtable

Koninika Roy

Listen to LGBTQIA+ festival leaders, practicioners and artists on a panel moderated by Anushka Jadhav. Featuring Anindya Hajra, Koninika Roy, Nila, Sharif Rangekar and Ruth McCarthy, the roundtable has been put together by the British Council, in collaboration with The Queer Muslim Project.
When: June 28, 5 PM
Where: @inbritish, Instagram
Contact: @thequeermuslimproject, Instagram

Sharif Rangekar

Nila

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