Hundreds join India's first gay pride parades

New Delhi: Hundreds of gay rights supporters gathered in key Indian cities on Sunday for the country's first gay pride parades.

At least 350 people gathered in Delhi, while nearly 400 joined the parade in Kolkata and Bangalore.

Many of the participants wore masks to conceal their identity.

"There would be discrimination, many would be scared of being fired from their job, could be someone's landlord will kick them out but they have come out nonetheless," an activist said in New Delhi.

Activists waved banners and shouted slogans demanding the scrapping of a section of the Indian penal code.

Homosexuality is illegal in India and is punishable to 10 years in prison.