Bhubaneswar: A Pride parade will be organised in the state on September 1.

Ahead of the event, a number of events are being held as part of the social outreach program to create awareness about the struggles and stories of the LGBTQ community.

A queer poetry and storytelling session was held on August 12 where people from various backgrounds discussed the struggles of young LGBTQ individuals in colleges. Stories of isolation, discrimination at workplaces and educational institutions apart from shaming because of their sexuality to the fore.

People from LGBTQ community shared stories of coming out to family and friends, their social problems because of the illegality of homosexual marriages and bullying in their early years because of their mannerisms.

A film-screening session was also held on August 18 where the films XXY (Spanish) and Pride (British) were shown.

The audience consisted of college students from BJB, MKCG, NIFT, NISER, IIIT, XUB, RD Women's College, Ravenshaw and other institutions. The house discussed the necessity of the marginalised communities to work together for their own and also each other's rights, with the realisation that the prejudices that every person faces have similar patterns of oppression and should not be exclusive for the same reason.

"The importance of solidarity, building a community to bring individuals together who believed in the same cause for facilitating discussions and movements, freedom of love and social stereotypes was talked about and understood," said Sarah Smruti, a participant.

Queer literature readings was the third pre-Pride event in the series. The audience sat in a circle at the library and read excerpts from texts based on the LGBTQ community, commemorating the struggles of the community, the stigma attached to them and the importance of unleashing a political movement for social education and change of the legal status of the community.

Bijaya Biswal, one of the organisers, said: "Our motive was to explore how religious texts, historical accounts and cultural/anthropological books talk about homosexuality, so that we understand the trajectory of social progress of the LGBTQ community. I believe, discussions and readings help us update our thinking by backing them up with facts and truth."

On September 1, Bhubaneswar will witness the first Pride march which has the vision of socially educating people about the LGBTQ community and its rights, and to celebrate their existence without shame.