Pride Circle presents “equALLY: Stories by FRIENDS of the Queer World”, a first of its kind anthology of powerful personal stories of individuals who have stood up, spoken up for the LGBT+ community and created safe spaces at homes, schools, colleges, workplaces and in society. 

In the book, we get a truly ring side view to what it means to be an "Ally". 

There are 45 stories written from a first-person perspective by people from different walks of life - Parents, Teenagers, Teachers, Corporate Leaders and Celebrities.

We celebrate and spotlight the life experiences, perspectives, and sentiments of these individuals on their journey to ‘allyship’. 

Each tale is an inspiration, a motivation, and a reminder that there are people across the country for whom the aspect of an individual's identity and existence is imperative. Conveying their solidarity towards the LGBT+ community through their written experiences of realization and transformation into an Ally makes this more than just a book - it is a milestone on the path towards Inclusion. 
 

Why the Book? 

Everyone has ‘ally’ stories to tell and we recognise that with each retelling, these stories create stronger connections, inclusion and bring about change. The change we want to see in a world where no one has to sacrifice their family, freedom, safety, or dignity because of who they are or who they love.

So, while the 2020 edition marks a beginning, with every fresh edition we will encourage more individuals to come forward with their ‘ally’ stories and add to the building blocks of a decidedly Indian approach to mobilising LGBT+ allies.

equALLY is our token of appreciation for their acceptance, influence, and support.

What being an Ally means to us!

What does it mean to be an ally? It means living in a world where humanity exists in different shapes, sizes, colours, views, thoughts, genders, sexualities, and regions. Co-existence is what must enrich our soil to grow bonds of respect, dignity, and love between humans. We wish to reach out to other like-minded individuals to create an environment, a society, where we ensure the safety and dignity of the LGBT+ community, until a stage of widespread equity is achieved where the label of being an 'Ally' is dropped.

An “Ally” is someone who supports LGBT+ people — both publicly and privately.

The key qualities of an ally are a desire to learn and understand, to help LGBT+ people feel supported and included and work towards fairness and justice for each and every one.

Calling yourself an ‘ally’ is only the first step. It requires active participation and visible gestures of support for the people around us. It is about using your own position of power or privilege to elevate the unheard voices and to foster not only diverse but truly inclusive environment.

Allyship is a journey of acceptance, advocacy, and action.