Pride Month Special: 7 LGBTQIA+ trendsetters in India

As we enter into the pride month i.e. June, here are some LGBTQIA+ changemakers in our society.

GARGI HARITHAKAM is a 'A Bahujan Queer Feminist', runs Vanaja Collective in Kozhikode and a freelance writer. Vanaja Collective is a shelter for distressed people from marginalised minority communities.

ZOYA THOMAS LOBO is the first transgender journalist in Mumbai. She is self-made and is a riveting inspiration to all

HEIDI SAADIYA in 2019 become the first transgender broadcast journalist from Kerala. Heidi’s first report was on Chandrayaan-2 lander. She was congratulated for the same by KK Shailaja, who was Kerala’s Health Minister at that time

ANJALI AMEER is an actress, known for Peranbu (2018), Ammu (2022) and Suvarna Purushan (2018). She is very vocal about her struggles as a transgender

BHINDUMADHAV KHIRE is an LGBTQ+ rights activist from Pune. He runs Samapathik Trust, an NGO which works on LGBTQ+ issues in Pune district.

MENAKA GURUSWAMY is a senior Supreme Court lawyer and a visiting faculty at Yale, New York University, etc. Menaka played a very important role in decriminalising section 377 that prohibited homosexual relationships.

DUTEE CHAND is India’s first openly queer athlete. Dutee was banned from participating in sports in 2014 as her testosterone levels were found to be higher than ‘permissible’. She fought a case against the IAAF, and got a historic victory after the Supreme Court gave verdict in her favour.