#THISCOVERSTORYISACONVERSATION

Our five cover stars sat down for a live session to talk about the LGBTQ+ community, growing up queer and the courage it takes to be yourself on a public platform

- RIDDHI CHAKRABORTY

When I sat down to write this story, I thought long and hard about what the LGBTQ+ community means to me. A ‘safe haven’ and ‘place of acceptance’ come to mind of course, but so do the words ‘family,’ ‘friendship’ and ‘togetherness.’ It’s cheesy, but it’s the best way to describe the unconditional support that envelopes you once you dive in.

Whether it was coming to terms with the idea of being queer, needing a shoulder to cry on when life didn’t work out or just dancing the night away at LGBT parties like Salvation Star, my memories with many incredible members of the community have stood as pillars of support throughout my adult life. They’ve carved a major chunk of my identity. I learned that I wasn’t alone and judgment, discrimination, fear and hardship are battles we all fight together no matter where on the rainbow spectrum we fall. It’s that shared experience which creates a community-wide understanding that we need to protect not just ourselves, but also one another.

For Rolling Stone India’s Pride campaign in 2020, we chose to lend our platform to the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate their stories, battles, victories, contributions to Indian history and pop culture. There are many shades beyond the seven in the rainbow of LGBTQIA+, and it was a learning experience for everyone involved, a way to better understand not only this diverse and incredible group of humans but also delete any lasting misconceptions and ignorance that lingered in our own minds.