So everyone knows by now, the events of last night.

As we walked towards the exit we had the venue staff telling us that we could not leave since there were police outside. A guy wearing a pony tail, beard, kohl eyed and wearing a vest was standing there instructing the police to go and check on the party. His name is Haji Ahmed Sahab Bawa (HASB) claiming to be a member of the NCP. He also was showing videos that he had clicked inside the party.  He was threatening the venue staff that he would raise complaints against them and that seemed to have freaked them. There was confusion for some time as to whether we could leave or not. Some of us stood at the gate asking the cops the exact reason why they were present. The cops mentioned that they were checking on the venue’s permissions and seeing if everything was in order. Although the cops were not being very aggressive, HASB was giving directions to the cops as to what they should do.  He kept talking incessantly on the phone shouting “Media ko bulao!”.

To know how the events unfolded, please read a post by Pallav Patankar, director of HIV services at Humsafar Trust.

We (and I speak for everyone at Gaysi) have attended quite a few parties that had a hetero-majority guest list as well as those that were all-queer. And we agree that what happens at the parties are quite similar in nature. There is NOTHING insidious or threatening that happens at ‘gay parties’ that should raise the hackles of the self-appointed moral police. Why then, must parties attended by queer folks be held to different standards? Gaysi, unequivocally condemns the events of last night and supports the Queer Azadi Movement in their fight for justice and answers.