Pride History: South Asia's First Pride March in India
South Asia’s first Pride march was the Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk, held on 2 July 1999 in Kolkata. It began as the “Friendship Walk” because homosexuality was still criminalized in India under Section 377, and organizers wanted to reduce the risk of backlash.
Only 15 people joined the first march, walking through the city in bright yellow T-shirts with rainbow-themed messages.
Participants wore pink triangles, reclaiming a symbol once used to persecute LGBTQ+ people during the Nazi era.
It was organized before social media became common; many participants connected through early internet mailing lists and queer networks.
The event helped inspire Pride marches across India and the wider region, growing from a tiny gathering into an annual march attended by thousands.
Kolkata was chosen because of its long history of social justice and rights movements, making it a natural starting point for a public LGBTQ+ rights demonstration.
Today, the Kolkata Rainbow Pride Walk remains the oldest Pride march in India and South Asia, symbolizing how a small act of visibility grew into a major movement for LGBTQ+ rights.