On Saturday, October 25, 2025, GayBombay in collaboration with 3ArtHouse hosted a vibrant and heartfelt event — The Queer Mixer — at 3ArtHouse: The Basement, Khar West, Mumbai. Designed as a space for meaningful interactions, the Mixer brought together members of the LGBTIQA+ community for an evening of warmth, openness, and genuine connection.

A Celebration of Queer Togetherness

The evening began with light introductions that set a relaxed tone, leading into a series of activities that encouraged interaction, vulnerability, and fun.

Participants enjoyed Rainbow Bingo, an icebreaker where attendees asked one another creative questions to win small prizes. This was followed by Connection Circles — a thoughtful segment with cue cards prompting deeper conversations. The evening culminated in a Slow Dating round that fostered authentic one-on-one exchanges.

The event closed with a gratitude circle, where participants reflected on the joy of shared queer spaces.

I want to say a few words of gratitude coming from my heart,” said Sunil, a civil engineer. “Before coming for this event, my world felt so confined, but being there with you guys changed everything. Thank you for showing me how beautiful gay life can be, beyond just the stereotypes.”

“I never thought I’d be able to interact with complete strangers and have fun!” shared Sagar, a gay man from rural Maharashtra in his early twenties, attending his first-ever gay event. “Everyone made me comfortable and I enjoyed the event.”

Guruprasad, who runs the queer book club Mumbai Queerati, reflected, “We are so absorbed into social media these days that we have forgotten our natural state of being the social animals we were designed to be. After a long time I saw people not looking into their phones, and looking at each other, talking, laughing and sharing. Given that I am a single gay man who lives alone, I felt alive. I am so used to talking to myself that hearing others speak was delightful.”

“Soulful spaces like these remind us that queer joy isn’t just loud, it’s held, heard, and honored,” affirmed Christina, a trans rights social worker facilitating community-building events.

Event organizer Sachin Jain, co-founder and core member of GayBombay, emphasised the group’s ongoing efforts toward inclusivity:

“This event was a great way for GayBombay, which has been around for decades, to listen to and better understand the communities apart from cis gay men in the sexual orientation and gender minorities community. Organizing this event was a milestone for us, in our declared effort to be more inclusive, and listen and learn to the other sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as engage with Gen Z.”

To stay updated on upcoming gatherings and explore highlights from past events, visit www.gaybombay.in or follow @gbgaybombay on Instagram.