VEYLEX: What does Pride mean to you?

As we conclude this year's Pride month here in America - all over the world pride months are just getting stared! Throughout Pride month we featured some of our favorite out and proud desi creators on our social media. We asked them a simple but important question, "What does PRIDE mean to you?" Check out some of the inspiring answers below!
*Random Fact: That first march, back when the events were known as Gay Pride Marches, took place in New York City in 1970 in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots.
PRIYA ARORA

Photo: Pooja Dhar
"I’m a strong believer in the power of storytelling. As a community, South Asian LGBTQ+ folks have an infinite and unique amount of experiences— ones that are often unseen and invisible. To me, Pride is about celebrating those stories. It’s more than a month, more than a parade, more than a rainbow. It’s a time to come together with the rest of the world and share what makes us who we are. Life can be scary and unsafe 365 days a year, and if we’re going to charge forth as a society towards ending hate and violence in so many forms— homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, classism, sexism, casteism, ableism, Islamophobia— we must challenge the status quo... and dare to be visible. Pride is about acknowledging the privilege of being visible, uplifting the voices of the unseen, honoring those in the movement that came before us, and forging a new path for those coming after us." - Priya Arora
ALOK

photo: John Keon
"Pride is a daily practice of self-affirmation in a world that denigrates me simply for daring to live beyond the binary." - Alok
VARDAAN ARORA

"Being yourself isn't easy, especially when certain cultural 'norms' have been beaten into you. LGBTQ people exist everywhere in the world. It isn't a Western phenomenon, as it's often painted out to be. I grew up in India, and if you had told me back when I was thirteen that I'd be out of the closet making pop music, I wouldn't have ever believed it. I realize that not everyone is that lucky, and countries like India aren't as progressive as you'd think. There is so much work to be done, and I think Pride brings attention to that. It's a beautiful, colorful, celebration of how diverse and full of love our community is. I'm proud to be a part of it, and I want to use my platform to bring about whatever change I can." -Vardaan Arora
MALINDER TOORAY

“To me Pride means standing together in Unity. There is a light at the end of every tunnel you need to choose to see” - Malinder Tooray
KUMaRI SURAJ

“Pride to me is the ability to be yourself freely and share your identities and preferences while also accepting everyone else's identities and preferences.” - Kumari Suraj
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