“If I wait for someone else to validate my existence, it will mean that I’m shortchanging myself”
– Zanele Muholi
Queerness is something that has been so sensationalized in pop culture and the media that oftentimes, important discussions rooted in actual progress aren’t given a platform to thrive! As a sincere attempt to shed light on issues and celebratory forms pertaining to the LGBTQIA+ community, the Pride Forum at Krea University organised a Queer Ball and a Queer Photography Exhibition led by two third-year students, Shreya Kabadi and Soumyadeep Roy (Momo). In addition to that, HerCampus Krea installed a ‘Here & Queer’ board in the Academic Block, which received an overwhelming amount of creative responses encapsulating queer joy. All of this was done as an attempt to celebrate the 6th of September, 2023 marking five years of the landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India to decriminalize Section 377 of the IPC. The culmination of these two events was facilitated by a plethora of queer individuals and allies at the university coming together. A sense of celebratory communion resounded throughout the Krea campus as a testament to the active engagement of the Krea family.
The exhibition organised by Shreya and Momo, captured the candid experiences and struggles of queer individuals. The photographs featured queer students making powerful statements through their attire, accessories, makeup or lack thereof. The alluring and thought-provoking pieces intricately dealt with pressing issues of queerness and identity. The exhibition sparked conversations about various forms of expression, gender dysphoria or gender incongruence, conforming to societal norms and struggles with self-image or identity. It prompted all the attendees to think beyond the binary, and it asked them to visualise identities beyond the black-and-white. Everyone present was also allowed to leave encouraging messages underneath the pictures by putting up sticky notes on the walls. Lauded by students and faculty alike, it is safe to say the Queer Photography Exhibition was a huge success.
Heading late into the night, the Kreators held an enthralling Queer Ball! With colour, rhinestones and sparkle flying everywhere, proud queer individuals and allies came together to celebrate the major day. The Ball commenced with captivating history lessons on the art of Voguing, Ballroom culture, the artistic form of Drag, Queer-and-Trans liberation movements in the past and the origins of various queer slangs and terminologies. Jam-packed with high-octane dance performances, thrilling music, spontaneous skits and moving poetries, the night was surely one to remember! The collective queer joy which engulfed that space truly birthed an eclectic experience for all attendees.
Celebrations like these are great in order to find and amplify community spirit. They act as a crucial means for individuals from various walks of life to foster a sense of relatability and share their pain and ecstasy alike. The Queer Photography Exhibition and the Ball were truly statements of their own, concretizing how powerful love and pride in one’s inherent identity can be!