Abhishek Anicca is a writer, poet, performer, and actor based in Patna. He is the author of The Grammar of My Body (2023), a collection of memoir essays that explore living with locomotor disability and chronic illness. Over the years, Abhishek has utilized personal narratives as a powerful tool for disability activism across various mediums, publishing essays and poetry grounded in radical vulnerability.

Aditi Maheshwari is Executive Director at Vani Prakashan Group and is the Managing Trustee at Vani Foundation. She designed the course structure and taught Publishing and Editing at the University of Delhi. She is on the advisory panel of Jaipur BookMark. She is the Secretariat Manager of Vani Foundation Distinguished Translator Award that is running in its seventh year now. She has been invited to the Editor’s exchange programs organised by the German Book Office, the Swedish Book Office, Oslo Literature Festival, Polish Book Office and French Book Office. She is the recipient of Chevalier of Arts and Letters, the honorary Knighthood by the Government of France, nominated India’s most valuable CEOs by the Business World Magazine and Young Achievers Award by the Zee Media Group.
Aditi holds master’s degrees in English literature (Hansraj College, Delhi University) and Business Management (Strathclyde Business School, Scotland) and a pre-doctoral/ M.Phil. degree in Social Sciences (Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai). She also holds a diploma in Public Relations and Advertising.

Ajay Jain is an author, photographer, and founder of Kunzum, a boutique bookstore chain. He has written 11 printed and over 50 e-books covering topics from travel to personal development. Ajay advocates for reading and travel to promote mental and physical wellness, and he emphasizes sustainability’s importance for societal well-being. An engineer by education, with further studies in management and journalism, he is a sought-after speaker, regularly appearing at events like the Jaipur Literature Festival, World Book Fair, and TEDx.

Alexander Balakrishnan is a model, actor, and commentator. He has appeared in notable publications such as Vogue Italia, Paper Magazine, and Grazia, and has worked with brands like Bumble, Tinder, Del Monte, and Spotify. Passionate about literature, he is often spotted exploring Delhi with a book in hand.  

Amrita Tripathi (she/they), a gender non-conforming lesbian, works as a content consultant for the Social Impact practice at Avian WE. Passionate about addressing pressing social issues, Amrita’s writing spans both thought-provoking non-fiction and imaginative fiction, including their book “Consciously Speaking 2,” which explores the lived experiences of six LGBTQIA+ persons in India. In writing, Amrita skillfully applies a queer lens, infusing narratives with nuanced explorations of identity and experience. They are also a part of queer organising in India in various capacities. When not writing, they can be found cuddling with their  cats and entertaining friends and family.

Anish Gawande is a writer and translator currently serving as the National Spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University and postgraduate degrees in Intellectual History and Public Policy from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Anish has contributed to prestigious publications including the Times of India, Hindustan Times, and CNN. He has also been a panelist on major news channels in India and internationally.

A passionate advocate for equal rights, Anish is the founder and curator of Pink List India, the country’s first archive of politicians supporting LGBTQ+ rights. He is a Human Rights Campaign Global Innovation Fellow and has delivered talks at universities, workplaces, and schools across India and abroad on the importance of inclusivity.

As a translator, Anish has brought the poetry of Ramchandra Siras from Marathi to English. He has written extensively on art and literature and has spoken at events such as the Jaipur Literature Festival and the Harvard US-India Initiative’s annual conference, while also curating shows at leading galleries across the country.

Anish has held consulting roles with Borkowski PR in London, UNESCO in New Delhi, and the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life in New York, with shorter stints at the Indian Embassy in Paris and CNN Hong Kong. He is currently a partner at Horniman Circle Advisory, a board member of Youth Feed India, a mentor for the Times of India’s student edition, and the director of the Dara Shikoh Fellowship. 

Anish’s work has earned him recognition as one of GQ’s 50 Most Influential Young Indians. He has won a SAJA Journalism Award and was named a GQ Champion of Change.

Anjali Gopalan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Naz Foundation (India) Trust, a Delhi-based NGO dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS. She is also the founder of All Creatures Great & Small, an NGO that provides shelter and care for animals. Anjali has been at the forefront of the fight to decriminalize homosexuality in India. In addition to running a shelter for HIV-infected orphaned children, her NGO is now creating Delhi’s first LGBTQ+ center, a significant initiative for the queer community that often struggles to find safe spaces.

Anjali has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Commonwealth Award, the Woman Achiever’s Award from the Ministry of Women & Child Development, and the Ashoka Fellowship. In 2009, Time magazine listed her among the 100 Most Influential People in the World, and she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, among other accolades.

Ankur Paliwal is an award-winning independent journalist and the founder and managing editor of queerbeat, a new collaborative journalism venture focused on accurately covering LGBTQIA+ communities in India. In his thirteen years of journalism, Ankur has sought to shine a light on the stories of underreported people and places. He has written about neglected crops and diseases, queer and indigenous communities, and caste and climate change in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa for various publications, including The Guardian, Nature, Scientific American, and FiftyTwo. Ankur holds a master’s degree in Science Journalism from Columbia University in New York.

Anwesh Sahoo is a multifaceted Visual Designer and Lead Technical Artist at Aristocrat Gaming, renowned for his pioneering contributions to both the digital arts and LGBTQ+ activism. He is the first Indian recipient of the Troy Perry Medal of Pride for Compassionate Activism and the youngest winner of Mr. Gay World India. Anwesh is also the creator of The Effeminare and the author of the comic book Effeminared, which was featured in the anthology Transformative Compassion, debuting in Canada in April 2024.

Featured in prestigious publications such as Vogue, Rolling Stone, and The Hindu, Anwesh has emerged as a breakthrough queer artist. He has graced the TEDx stage, where he advocates for celebrating gender as a spectrum and challenges societal norms. Through his art, Anwesh creates a utopian parallel universe that reflects his vision of a world filled with acceptance and vibrant diversity. He views life as a thrilling mystery novel written by divine forces and, as his journey has just begun, proudly declares: “I am still evolving!”

Dr. Aqsa Shaikh (She/Her) is an out and proud transgender woman, and one of India’s first transgender doctors. She is a Professor of Community Medicine at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, Delhi. Aqsa is an academician and researcher, and is part of the iHEAR initiative at Sangath India, which focuses on research and advocacy for the inclusion of transgender and disability communities in the healthcare sector. She is also the Founder Director of the Human Solidarity Foundation and a vocal advocate for rights-based gender justice for transgender persons. Aqsa speaks, writes, and advocates for trans rights both in India and globally. In addition to being a TEDx speaker, she is a poet and practitioner of theatre.

Aroh Akunth is the founder of the Dalit Queer Project, which aims to raise awareness around intersectionality, and the Dalit Art Archive, which highlights the histories of art from the perspective of Dalit communities. They are currently based between Delhi and Germany.

Mostly known for her portrayal of ‘Kullu’ in Dibakar Banerjee’s “Love, Sex aur Dhoka 2,” Bonita Rajpurohit was born and raised in Dornari, Rajasthan. She began her career by writing articles for ‘Youth Ki Awaaz’ and later transitioned into modeling for various brands and magazines, where she was crowned as the 2nd Runner-Up in Miss Trans Queen India 2019.

After appearing in several TV and digital commercials and struggling to find her space, she ventured into filmmaking with 1719 Film Factory in Vadodara, Gujarat. There, she assisted director Dhruv Solanki on his feature film “It’s All in Your Head” (2023), contributing to editing and acting in the project. Bonita also co-wrote, co-directed, and acted in another feature, “Blah Blah Blah,” with Dhruv Solanki, which is set to be released this year.

She made her debut as a writer and director with her short fashion film “You’re the New Standard” for URBANIC, followed by “iykyk,” which was incubated by KASHISH Arts Foundation and completed with the support of Alankrita Shrivastava and Neeraj Churi. The film premiered at the KASHISH Pride Film Festival 2024, where she received the Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker Award, along with special mentions for Best Performance in Lead and Best Indian Woman Filmmaker.

“iykyk” is also slated for its international premiere at the Iris Prize Film Festival in Wales, United Kingdom.

Chand Chopra is an accomplished advocate practicing in the High Court of Delhi and a solicitor of 

England and Wales. A graduate of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (Class of 2012), she initially worked in London for a few years before returning to India to establish her own practice. Chand’s practice areas include civil and commercial litigation as well as arbitration, and her dedication to the law is marked by an unwavering passion. Originally hailing from Amritsar, she embodies the spirit of her hometown as a true food enthusiast. When not immersed in her work, Chand enjoys traveling, playing badminton, and expressing herself through poetry.

Arshiya Takkar has spent a decade in the textile industry, managing her family’s women’s ethnic wear brand, Tacfab, until last year. She is currently working to establish a formal family office. Arshiya is deeply passionate about personal growth and healing, maintaining a regular practice of yoga and Reiki. She is also an enthusiastic supporter of women’s cricket and recently began writing about the sport. Her spare time is often filled with coloring, nature walks, and dancing to nostalgic Bollywood tunes from the 90s.

Chand and Arshiya’s paths crossed in June 2015, just a day after Chand relocated to Delhi. Their deep connection led to their engagement in 2019, and they gradually built a loving and supportive home, courageously navigating life together in a largely heteronormative society. The prospect of a formal wedding in India once seemed out of reach, but in December 2023, with the unwavering love and support of family and friends, they were able to celebrate their commitment to one another. Their journey of love and resilience is a testament to the power of support and serves as an inspiration to others.

Their commitment ceremony was officiated by their dear friend and yoga teacher, Apoorva, making it a truly special and meaningful occasion.

Chirag Thakkar is a writer and publisher based in Delhi with close to a decade’s experience in the industry. He publishes some of the finest Indian nonfiction and fiction at Bloomsbury India as their Associate Publisher. Chirag has previously been with Penguin Random House India, Roli Books, and Oxford University Press India. His writing has appeared in Scroll, Hindustan Times, Kashmir Reader, The Voice of Fashion, and The Quint. He posts on X and Instagram as @chiraghtakkar.

David Ledain is a UK-based author of gay male non-fiction, who shares the stories of gay men through compelling and honest interviews. His first book, Gay Dad, now in its second edition, tells his own story as well as those of other gay and bisexual men from diverse backgrounds, including Indian men, who married women and had children before coming out. All of his books are grounded in historical research and informed by modern scientific knowledge and understanding.

Ledain grew up in the 1970s and 80s in a deeply homophobic culture, struggling with his sexuality and the looming threat of AIDS, which ultimately claimed his brother’s life. Today, he is part of the Rainbow Dads podcast team and has guested on numerous other podcasts, discussing topics like being a gay dad, coming out later in life, and discovering his sexuality. He continues to write about these issues as a means of self-discovery and support for others on similar journeys.

Dharmesh (he/they) is a queer poet, translator, facilitator, and activist from Allahabad. They co-founded a queer support group in Allahabad and currently serve as the Program Lead at India Fellow.

Dharmesh’s English translation of Rohin Kumar’s Lal Chowk: The Story of the Ongoing Conflict between New Delhi and Kashmir was published in September this year. They have also contributed translations for the People’s Linguistic Survey of India, Grindr’s Sexuality Resource, and Agents of Ishq.

Their writing has appeared in The Quint, Business Standard, The Leaflet, Sadaneera, Baya, Pink Advocate, and in personal letters to many lovers.

In their downtime, they enjoy cooking for friends, indulging in cringe humor, and sleeping in.

Dr. Dhiren Borisa is a Dalit queer activist, poet, and urban sexual geographer, currently serving as an Assistant Professor at O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat. An Urban Studies International Fellow (2022), Dhiren earned his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, with a focus on queer cartographies of desire in Delhi. His research explores sexual mappings and the making of cities through an intersectional and decolonial lens, with a particular emphasis on both queer spaces in India and diasporic queer worldings.

Dhrubo Jyoti is a journalist and writer based in New Delhi, India. They are senior editor at Hindustan Times, overseeing news operations and writing on national affairs at the intersection of caste and sexuality. They are interested in centering Dalit voices in India’s LGBTQIA+ communities, and in exploring Dalit-Queer futures.

Marathi writer, poet and activist Disha Pinki Shaikh is the recipient of the Rutvij Kalsekar Poetry Award. In 2019 she was appointed the spokesperson for the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, a development that spoke for her belief that political change will not result from sitting on the outside.

Douce Dibondo is an essayist, poet, and performer. Through the exploration of writing as spirit, she delves into themes of Blackness intertwined with queerness, feminism, ancestry, and decoloniality. Her work seeks to tear through the veils of the Western worldview, invoking a multidimensional present in perpetual revolution through fiction, essays, poetry, and performance. She is the author of two poetry collections, métacures (2022) and infra/seum (2023), published by Blast, as well as an essay, La Charge Raciale, Vertige d’un silence écrasant (2024), published by Fayard. Douce is also the co-founder of Extimité, a podcast that opens doors to the intimate stories of multi-minoritized LGBTQ+ people, allowing them to share their life experiences.

Edythe (they/he) is a queer trans poet and filmmaker based in Delhi, originally from Lucknow. Their work explores themes of trauma, queerness, gender, and grief. Edythe’s debut project, Change For The Line, is a 4-film anthology that highlights queerness in the public eye. Their self-funded film, Sifar, received the Aditya Nanda Award for Best Indian Film on Mental Health from the Keshav Suri Foundation at the KASHISH Pride Film Festival 2024.

Eric Chopra is the founder of Itihāsology, a writer, speaker, curator, and podcaster with a focus on the histories of art, aesthetics, monuments, emotions, sexuality, and the otherworldly. He leads experiences at museums and monuments, emphasizing inclusive and multifaceted storytelling. Eric co-hosts the podcasts *For Old Times’ Sake* and *Jaipur Bytes* and frequently writes and curates for heritage and arts festivals.

Faraz Arif Ansari is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker. Their first film, Sisak—India’s first silent LGBTQ love story—set a milestone for Indian cinema as the first Indian film to win 59 international awards, a remarkable achievement for a silent, queer film. Faraz’s diverse portfolio includes directing the Netflix series The Big Day and the VICE series Vive Le Voyage.

Their short feature film, Sheer Qorma, starring Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta, and Swara Bhasker, was screened at over 300 film festivals and won 96 international awards, qualifying for both the BAFTA and Oscars in 2021. Beyond their filmmaking success, Faraz is deeply committed to community outreach. They conduct cinema and theatre sessions for underprivileged children and offer free acting workshops for transgender and queer communities, alongside charitable initiatives such as Gift A Meal.

Faraz recently completed filming their first feature film, Bun Tikki, featuring a stellar cast that includes Shabana Azmi, Zeenat Aman, and Abhay Deol, and produced by Indian fashion mogul Manish Malhotra. Bun Tikki is already being hailed as one of the most anticipated debut films and is slated for a global release in early 2025.

Hameeda Syed (she/they) is a Shia Kashmiri journalist with over five years of experience in writing, reporting, management, and research, focusing on the intersections of society and gender. She explores stories of justice through the intersection of identities, cultures, and power. In parallel, she also engages with systems that make these stories possible by contributing to initiatives on these boundaries. As a writer and researcher, Hameeda has contributed to various platforms like Third Eye Social, Khabar Lahariya, and the Thomas Reuters Foundation, tackling issues ranging from women’s rights and human trafficking to mental health and online misogyny. She has led programs at organizations like Dignity in Difference and Girl Up India, promoting gender justice and digital resilience across South Asia. A recipient of numerous accolades, including a UNESCO-LiiV Center grant, Hameeda is also a postgraduate diploma holder in Gender Equality Studies from the University of Iceland and an advocate for fostering empathy and co-creating a gender-just world.

Hansal Mehta is an Indian filmmaker known for directing films such as Shahid (2012), CityLights (2014), Aligarh (2015), Omerta (2017), and Faraaz (2023), each of which premiered at prestigious festivals in Toronto, Busan, and London. His recent film, The Buckingham Murders, starring acclaimed Indian actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2023 and was subsequently the opening film at the 2023 JioMAMI Mumbai Film Festival. The film has met with much acclaim and is available on Netflix. 

Most recently, Mehta has been engaged in creating and directing an eight-part biopic on M K Gandhi, featuring Pratik Gandhi in the lead role. The filmmaker made significant strides in longform storytelling with Scam 1992, and continued the success with Scoop, which garnered unanimous acclaim and numerous awards last year. 

Jaishree Kumar (she/her) is a queer neurodivergent journalist and documentary filmmaker who spotlights human rights issues within India’s LGBTQIA+ community.  Her work has been featured on Reuters, Vogue, VICE, Deutsche Welle and more. She is also the recipient of fellowships from CRG-IWM, Thomson Reuters, the YP Foundation and more.

Jaya Sharma is a feminist, queer, and kinky activist and writer who divides her time between Goa and New Delhi. As part of a feminist NGO, she worked on issues of gender and education for over twenty years, during which she was deeply involved in conducting sexuality trainings for groups working with rural women. As a queer activist, she has co-founded and been involved with queer forums in Delhi, including the coalition Voices Against 377. She is also one of the founding members of the Kinky Collective, a group that aims to raise awareness about Bondage, Domination, and Sado-Masochism, as well as to strengthen the community from within. Currently, her writing explores the intersections of sexuality and politics through the lens of the psyche.

Karthika VK is the Publisher at Westland Books. With over 25 years of experience in editing and publishing, she has worked across genres, including fiction, non-fiction, translations, poetry, and graphic novels. Karthika began her career at Penguin Books India and spent a decade as Publisher at HarperCollins before joining Westland in 2017.

Katyayini is a Bahujan trans woman from Punjab who creates visual essays that explore gender, feminism, caste, and society through a distinctly queer lens.

Keshav Suri serves as the Executive Director at The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, one of India’s leading luxury hospitality brands. Known for his progressive vision and entrepreneurial spirit, Keshav has propelled the group’s ascent as a leading hospitality chain while championing the causes of inclusivity and sustainability within the hospitality industry.

His leadership extends beyond business strategy, pushing boundaries for social justice and equality, particularly in his support of LGBTQIA+ rights and the fight for decriminalizing Section 377 in India. As a petitioner himself, he champions the cause of building an inclusive nation, culminating in the establishment of the Keshav Suri Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to embracing, empowering, and mainstreaming LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized communities. Notably, he has launched the Aditya Nanda Scholarship, providing 5 fully paid scholarships for LGBTQIA+ students to pursue degree and diploma programs in hospitality at The Lalit Suri Hospitality School, redefining the future of hospitality as queer-inclusive. The Foundation is also the official affiliate for the It Gets Better Project in India, thereby contributing to The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group’s global recognition.

With a keen business acumen and an eye for untapped potential, he is celebrated for expanding the group’s portfolio. His visionary leadership has not only diversified offerings but introduced ground-breaking operational ideas, including food and beverage concepts tailored for the sophisticated palate. Notably, his brainchild, Kitty Su—the Group’s nightclub—completed thirteen successful years in August 2024, solidifying its status as one of the longest-running and most inclusive nightclubs in the country. His vision extends to environmental sustainability, advocating for green operations across The Lalit Group, including energy conservation, waste reduction, promoting “vocal for local,” and the use of eco-friendly materials.

He is a distinguished scholar, holding degrees in Law and Business from the University of Warwick, a Master’s Degree in International Management from Kings College, London, and an LLM Degree from the School of African & Oriental Studies (SAOS), London. His global outlook, with an intimate understanding of Indian culture and values, and his innovative approach to hospitality has positioned The Lalit Group as a modern, forward-looking brand that stays connected to its heritage while evolving to meet contemporary expectations.

His unwavering dedication has garnered numerous coveted accolades, including being  named a Top 100 LGBT+ Executive for three consecutive times by Yahoo Finance & Outstanding List, the Pioneer Award by IGLTA (International LGBTQ+ Travel Association), Attitude Pride Award, and more than 15 prestigious national honours. These include Change Maker by Hindu Businessline, Culture Icon of NewHood by Mens XP, Agent of Social Change by GQ, and Tycoons of Tomorrow by Forbes India.

A sought-after speaker, Keshav actively engages in public forums, conferences, and events, to passionately advocate for diversity, inclusion, and LGBTQ+ rights. His impact extends far beyond the hospitality industry, establishing him as a compelling force for positive social change.

Kinshuk Gupta is a medical doctor, bilingual writer, poet, and translator based in New Delhi. His work, which frequently explores themes of books, gender, and sexuality, has appeared in prominent publications like The Hindu, Caravan, Open Magazine, Scroll, Times of India, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times, The Deccan Chronicle, and others. Gupta has received several accolades for his literary contributions, including the Dr. Anamika Poetry Prize (2021), Ravi Prabhakar Smriti Laghukatha Samman (2022), and Akhil Bhartiya Yuva Kathakar Alankaran (2022).

He has been longlisted for prestigious awards such as the People Need Change Poetry Contest (2020) by The Poetry Society, UK, and the Toto Awards for Creative Writing (2021), and was shortlisted for the All India Poetry Competition (2018) and the Srinivas Rayaprol Poetry Prize (2021). In 2022, he was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.

Currently, Gupta edits poetry for Mithila Review and Jaggery Lit and serves as an Associate Editor for the Usawa Literary Review. In 2023, he was selected for the prestigious South Asia Speaks Fellowship, where he is being mentored by acclaimed poet and writer Tishani Doshi. His debut book of short fiction, Yeh Dil Hai Ki Chordarwaja, recognized as the first modern Hindi LGBT short story collection, was published by Vani Prakashan.

Krishanu is a trans and neurodivergent person. Both these aspects take up a huge part of how She negotiates her daily existence. Krishanu works as a researcher at People’s Resource Center (PRC). Where she looks at urban governance, mobility and sustainability. Previously she has worked on the politics of Marriage Equality in India with IIIT Delhi. She completed her M.A. in Sociology from Ambedkar University Delhi. Where she looks at “Launda Naach” which is a caste based cultural performance embedded in the socio-political context of Bihar. She is interested in the sociology of health and the sociology of law and how these spaces are instrumental in producing a certain discourse around queerness and queer bodies. She has also worked in the SRH space, primarily engaging with the access to safe abortions for the sex workers and Transgender community. She also engages in advocacy on queer-trans and disability issues.

Maisnam Arnapal is a doctoral candidate in Feminist Studies with an interdisciplinary focus on Global & International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a fellow at the Orfalea Center for Global Studies, Maisnam engages with research clusters on “Global Futures: Uncertainty, Security, Displacement” and “Global Genders & Sexualities.” Born in Manipur and a former teacher at the University of Delhi, his research examines peace and conflict in Manipur through a queer feminist perspective, drawing on postcolonial theory and critical disability studies.

Manak is a feminist, queer activist and quasi friend, facilitator and agony auntyji in his many years of work to build young people’s reflective leadership of personal and social action. His work builds capacities of individual leaders and organisations to shift norm and systems towards power sharing and pleasure politics particulary in the areas of gender, seuxuality, masculinities, health and inclusion. He was born and raised in Delhi and has learnt some dos and don’ts of movement building, activism, dating, sex and friendships in the city.

Mario da Penha (he/him) is a queer historian, activist, and political worker. He is currently pursuing his PhD at Rutgers University, focusing on the history of hijras in precolonial and early colonial India. With over twenty years of experience in queer activism, Mario began his journey with queer student activism at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where he co-founded Anjuman, Delhi’s first queer student collective. He has also served as a co-petitioner in both the Section 377 and Marriage Equality cases. Additionally, Mario is the All India Head of the LGBTQIA+ Vertical of the All India Professionals’ Congress, the newest department of the Indian National Congress, India’s oldest political movement.

Melissa Waggener Zorkin is the founder and Global CEO of WE Communications, one of the largest independent communications agencies in the world. With more than 1,500 employees, WE Communications is a powerhouse agency in over 100 international markets and has made a substantial impact in the communications industry across the globe.

Melissa has cultivated partnerships with revolutionary brands, including Microsoft, Pfizer, General Mills, Nike and others, while keeping purpose at the center of the agency and her career. She uses a simple yet powerful formula for success, putting people and purpose at the heart of every decision. Melissa stays true to the agency’s mission to use the gift of communication to inspire positive action, for clients and the world.

She is an inductee of the PRWeek Hall of Fame, as well as the PRWeek Hall of Femme and the ICCO Hall of Fame. Under her leadership, WE has been recognized as PRovoke North America’s Technology PR Agency of the Year. PRWeek named WE as one of its Best Places to Work since 2020. And since 2019, the Human Rights Campaign has designated WE as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.

Mentoring the next generation of communications professionals ranks high on Melissa’s list of priorities. She serves on the boards of the University of Southern California Annenberg Center for Public Relations and ColorComm. In 2021, WE Communications launched the Young Changemakers award in partnership with PRovoke Media to celebrate women from underserved communities who have the power to revolutionize the industry. WE also has established the WE Communications Catalyst Scholarship Fund in partnership with the United Negro College Fund to provide financial resources to BIPOC students in Washington and Oregon. 

Through work with local and global non-profits, Melissa has helped women entrepreneurs start their own businesses, lifted female voices, and voices of color, across industries and championed numerous social impact initiatives that serve communities across several regions, most notably in North America and Africa.

Melissa speaks regularly about her commitment to purpose-driven leadership, addressing audiences and events such as Cannes Lions, Mumbrella360, ColorComm, SHEQUALITY, Global ICCO PR Summit and the Indie Summit. She also shares her insights on current events, ethics, and innovation through WE’s blog.
When she’s not working, Melissa enjoys traveling and outdoor activities, around her home in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Minakshi Sanyal, better known as Malobika is a queer feminist activist, engaged in the LBTQI+ Rights movement in India for the last 25 years. She is Co-founder of Sappho for Equality, Kolkata.  She served as Managing Trustee, Sappho for Equality till 2020 and handed over the baton to the next generation.

Her life’s journey has depended on nothing but her self-reliance. Maybe reaching the wrong side of 50 has made it difficult for her to divide her attention equally between her profession and her passion. That’s why she took voluntary retirement at 53 from a senior manager, CSR position at the Steel Authority of India and devoted herself completely to the feminist movement and the movement for the rights of marginalized sexualities. She loves interacting with people across different socioeconomic layers and age groups and getting involved in different movements. She’s a foodie to the core and loves traveling when she can manage the time. Her jointly edited book “Monologue: Dui Banglar Lesbian Kathan” in both bangla and english language in 2021.

Mohan Singh Aulakh is a director and writer specializing in alternative cinema. His work focuses on raising awareness about social issues and various forms of discrimination in society. He aims to highlight movements that strive to eradicate discrimination, using cinema as a medium to foster the creation of a beautiful and equitable society.

Naina and Lameeya are a queer couple who have been together for over seven years. They met online, instantly connecting, and have continued to grow together since. They live in Delhi with their dog and three cats, sharing similar values and a passion for learning. Naina and Lameeya enjoy a quiet life, cherishing their time together.

Navin Noronha is one of India’s most prolific queer voices, having pioneered the queer comedy scene in the country. With nearly a decade of performing and touring, Navin uses his humor to challenge the mindsets of bigots, one joke at a time. In 2020, he became one of the first Indian queer artists to tour Australia, and in 2024, he expanded his reach by touring across Europe.

In addition to stand-up, Navin curates and hosts Queer-Rated Comedy, a show spotlighting LGBTQ+ performers. He actively contributes to queer representation in the media through his writing for Vice and his podcasts Keeping it Queer and Queer Vibes Only. He was also a writer and consultant for the Amazon Prime series Rainbow Rishta, which earned a GLAAD award nomination in New York. Beyond comedy, Navin has written the horror short film The Cradle and the comedy short Foodgasm.

Nikunj Jain set up the Tapish Foundation in 2022 with the intent to empower transgender people in and around his region. His Foundation runs a shelter home called ‘Mera Kunba,’ designed specifically for trans men and women. This facility offers accommodation, meals, and counseling services. Nikunj Jain, as the director of the Tapish Foundation, has a strong commitment to the welfare of the trans community and knows the importance of raising awareness about their issues. “’Mera Kunba’ serves as a safe haven where individuals can live authentically. It is available for those who have faced rejection from their families, are seeking employment, or need temporary housing during medical procedures.

Patruni Chidananda Sastry is an Expressionist dancer, performance artist, and Tranimal drag performer. He started dancing at the age of seven, and his unique style, called ‘Expressionism,’ offers a new way to tell stories and create awareness in society on matters of relevance, particularly queerness.

Taking his dance form to national and international platforms, Patruni’s interdisciplinary work has created a new pedagogy of performance, which many might consider avant-garde art and a postmodern approach, given that the dance form blends seamlessly with the folk music of a bygone era.

He has performed at over 1,000 shows, conducted more than 50 workshops, and delivered five TEDx talks, in addition to participating in several fashion walks and digital performances across various mediums.

Paromita Vohra is a filmmaker, writer, and avid antakshari player whose work delves into feminism, desire, urban life, and popular culture. Her extraordinary body of work spans films, online videos, art installations, television programs, and writing, fluidly navigating between the mainstream and the alternative. Her pieces have garnered numerous awards and have been exhibited at prestigious venues like the Tate Modern, the Wellcome Trust, and the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), and they feature in syllabi across the globe.

Vohra is renowned for pioneering new forms of documentary storytelling, blending fiction and non-fiction into playful-essay forms. Some of her most notable films include Unlimited Girls, Q2P (focused on toilets and gender), Where’s Sandra?, Morality TV and the Loving Jehad, and Partners in Crime, as well as the popular TV series Connected Hum Tum.

She has also written the feature film Khamosh Pani, the comic Priya’s Mirror, and the play Ishqiya Dharavi Ishtyle. Her fiction and non-fiction writing have been widely published, and her weekly column Paro-normal Activity is now in its 15th year.

Additionally, she is the founder of Agents of Ishq, a dynamic community project on sex, love, and desire for Indians.

Poongodi Mathiarasu is an independent artist and traveling teacher with a graduate degree in Journalism and a postgraduate degree in Folklore and Cultural Studies. For the past five years, he has focused on documenting the lives of trans folk artists in rural Tamil Nadu, working with folk artists, children, and the queer community. His expertise spans traditional folk dances, puppetry, and street theatre. He is also currently working as an artist with the theatre group Fluid Space. A staunch advocate of “art for all,” Poongodi strives to advance gender equality and social justice through his work.

Ms. Raghavi is a law graduate from the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, and is navigating her journey as a first-generation openly trans lawyer in Delhi. With a passion for the intersection of law and gender, Raghavi’s interests span various areas of law and social sciences.

Her writings have appeared in The Indian Express and The Dialogue Box, and she has contributed to anthologies on trans rights. Beyond her writing, Raghavi is a dynamic force in the field, conducting workshops and delivering talks at universities, embassies, and legal aid organizations. When not immersed in lawyering, she enjoys reading, writing, dancing, and cooking.

Ramkrishna Sinha (He/Him) is Co-Founder of Pride Circle and Rainbow Bazaar, India and the United Kingdom. He is a firm believer of “Action for Inclusion” and has enabled over 500 organizations on their journey of LGBTQ+ inclusion. He has co-authored equALLY  – Stories by FRIENDS of the Queer World, an anthology of 45 powerful personal stories by 45 allies. Pride Circle has enabled over a 1200 job offers for LGBTQ+ Talent in inclusive organizations, helped 125+ LGBTQ+ owned businesses to gain visibility and expand market reach. Ram has been recognized as Global D&I Hero of the Year at Intel. He also won the prestigious “Champion of the Year” Award from Out & Equal, USA and was featured in the list of 50 LGBT+ Future Leaders Globally by OUTstanding & Financial Times. He is also compiling stories of LGBT & allies in the blog titled “101 Coming Out Stories from India” which has reached millions of people.

Ranjana Sengupta was formerly Deputy Publisher Penguin Press at Penguin Random House India where she commissioned non-fiction in the areas of politics, history, culture, travel, and urban studies. She was a journalist for the first 15 years of her career, working in the Hindustan Times, Indian Express and Sunday. She is the author of Delhi Metropolitan: The Making of an Unlikely City. Currently she is Consulting Editor at A Suitable Agency.

Ranjana Dave (she/her) is an artist and writer whose practice emerges from her movement training, research, and writing, unfolding at the intersection of text and movement. She writes about performance, culture, and society and is the author of Body/Language (TAKE on Art, 2024). Ranjana also edited the award-winning volume Improvised Futures: Encountering the Body in Performance (Tulika Books, 2021).

With an active pedagogical practice, she teaches performance practice and theory to university students and arts practitioners. Ranjana enjoys exploring how individuals build relationships with others, ideas, objects, and ecologies—what makes us social beings. Her artistic practice manifests across performance, writing, and various editorial and curatorial projects.

Raqeeb is a writer, photographer, filmmaker, and researcher from Kolkata, currently based in Delhi, India. He is pursuing a PhD at Jamia Millia Islamia, focusing on the intersections of queer cinema and family. Much of his photographic work revolves around redefining masculinity in the Indian context, presenting an antithesis to existing representations, and highlighting queer intimacies and identities. He has been a two-time nominee for “LGBTQIA+ Voice of the Year” at the Cosmo India Blogger Awards. His photographic work has been exhibited at platforms including the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in Mumbai and Khoj Studios in New Delhi. His released works include the co-directorial project Our Satrangi Jahaan, produced by Lotus Visual Productions. Currently, his co-directorial project B25, produced by Rough Edges Arts, is making the rounds at film festivals.

Rashmi Datta Handa is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience in Support and Go-to-Market strategies. Currently serving as the Sales Enablement and Operations leader for Microsoft Unified in the India and ASEAN markets, Rashmi leads go-to-market support initiatives for Microsoft Unified business along with Unified plus Azure motion for Asia. Rashmi is married to Vishal for the last 26 years and they are parents to a 15-year-old daughter, Shreeya along with two beautiful four-legged boys: Sunny Boy and Captain Jack Sparrow. Rashmi is passionate about the importance of diversity and the power of inclusion. She has been an active member of the Microsoft Employee Resource Group focusing on inclusion of the LGBTQI+ community since the inception of India chapter in 2018 and is currently serving as Co-lead for Microsoft India chapter. Rashmi is based in Gurgaon, India.

Rituparna Borah is an indigenous, disabled, queer feminist activist with over 15 years of experience working on gender, sexuality, and LGBTQIA+ issues. She is the Co-Director of Nazariya: A Queer Feminist Resource Group in Delhi, India. Nazariya is a queer-run and led organization with a mission to make queer lives visible. Rituparna has been actively involved in feminist and queer organizing in India.

Rohan is the founder of Evolve which is a mental health platform focused on the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. With over 1.5 million users globally, Evolve has been recognised by both Apple & Google across the world. Evolve provides evidence-backed resources, a supportive community & mental health experts for individuals seeking help. 

Rohan is gay man who believes that he came out to himself too late in life. Now he wants to live his life by being my most authentic self & hope to inspire others to do the same through the mission of Evolve. He is a Vipassana meditator & believes in Anicha – a pali word for impermanence. He is also a big fan of Murakami, Djokovic & Gandalf!

Rohin Bhatt is a queer, non-binary lawyer who practices in the Supreme Court of India. Their work spans both activism within the courtroom and outside it, along with extensive writing on issues related to queer rights and human rights. Bhatt holds a Master’s degree in Bioethics from Harvard Medical School and a law degree from Gujarat National Law University. They grew up in Gujarat and now live in Delhi.

In their legal career, Bhatt has been a key part of the litigation teams advocating for marriage equality, arguing for the right of LGBTQ citizens to equal marriage rights. They have also been involved in legal challenges to Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, the practice of Jallikattu, and the Supreme Court’s power to grant divorces under Article 142 of the Constitution of India. Bhatt successfully advocated for the installation of nine gender-neutral bathrooms in the Supreme Court for queer individuals.

Their persistent advocacy for inclusivity has led to the Supreme Court expanding its gender sensitisation committee into a gender and sexuality sensitisation committee. Bhatt has also been actively advocating for the inclusion of queer individuals in the Supreme Court’s Sexual Harassment policies, a matter that is currently under consideration.

In addition to their legal work, Bhatt’s first book, Urban Elite v. Union of India: The Unfulfilled Constitutional Promise of Marriage (In) Equality, is set to be published in October 2024 by Penguin Random House India. Their writings have appeared on platforms such as The Leaflet, The Wire Science, The Probe, and Live Law, as well as in national newspapers like The Indian Express, Times of India, and The Hindu. Bhatt is one of the foremost voices on queer rights and is frequently quoted on these issues by Indian media outlets such as The Quint, NewsLaundry, The Print, and Hindustan Times, as well as international media like The Guardian and BBC World Radio Service.

1. Muralidhar completed his schooling and college education in Chennai. He graduated with a B.Sc in Chemistry from Vivekananda College, Chennai in 1981, and earned his law degree (BL) from the University of Madras in 1984, securing the first rank. He further pursued an LL.M from Nagpur University in 1990, once again topping his class. In February 2003, he was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Delhi for his doctoral research on “Legal Aid and the Criminal Justice System in India.”

Muralidhar began his legal career in Chennai in 1984 before moving his practice to Delhi in 1987, where he represented clients at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court for nearly two decades. Known for his pro bono work and PIL cases, he was actively involved with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee and served as counsel for the Election Commission of India and the National Human Rights Commission. He was also a part-time member of the Law Commission from 2002 to 2006.

On 29 May 2006, Muralidhar was appointed a Judge of the Delhi High Court. He later became the Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa on 4 January 2021, retiring from the position on 7 August 2023. As a judge, he contributed significantly across various branches of law, including constitutional, commercial, arbitration, tax, and criminal law. His tenure as Chief Justice saw reforms in both administrative and judicial areas, notably the establishment of digitisation centers for court records, and the Centre for Judicial Archives and Museum of Justice in Cuttack.

On 17 October 2023, Muralidhar was designated as Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court of India and has since resumed his legal practice.

Rev. Dr. S.D. Deva Jothi Kumar is a dedicated leader and committed advocate for gender and sexuality concerns within the Christian community. He currently serves as the Program Executive of the National Ecumenical Forum for Gender and Sexual Diversity, an influential initiative of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), which plays a pivotal role in guiding its 36 member churches in addressing contemporary issues related to human sexuality and gender diversity.

Dr. Kumar holds a doctorate in the History of Christianity from UGC and has made significant contributions to theological scholarship, authoring numerous articles on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and Christianity, as well as exploring the church’s evolving understanding of these critical issues. His scholarship extends beyond academia, highlighted by his presentation at the 2024 Church History Association of India regional conference in Chennai, where he examined the role of South Indian churches in the Minority Movement and societal transformation, with a special focus on gender and sexuality.

In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Kumar has been deeply involved in global ecumenical efforts. He represented the Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network (EDAN), a movement of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and made notable contributions to a workshop on human sexuality at the WCC Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2022. His expertise is highly sought after both nationally and internationally, serving as a special tutor on gender and sexuality diversity for churches and theological institutions in India and abroad.

With over two decades of experience as a faculty member at a theological college, Dr. Kumar is both an esteemed educator and an ordained minister. His deep passion for inclusivity, justice, and understanding continues to inspire the faith community as he tirelessly advocates for transformative dialogue on gender and sexuality, paving the way for greater acceptance and diversity within the churches.

Sahitya Gupta (he/him) is currently working as a Programme coordinator at Nazariya: A Queer Feminist Resource Group. His journey began as a field worker at Nazariya where he built connections with the LBQT community for Covid relief work and then for livelihood options and programmes. From being a field worker to a Programme Coordinator he has seen it all. His biggest achievement is his knowledge of the grassroots and its politics. Currently as a Programme Coordinator, he facilitates easy document change for transgender persons and assisting them with finding reliable doctors for surgeries. He has also been assisting trans persons in obtaining TG certificates and other government documents. He is also coordinating the crisis intervention and advocacy unit at Nazariya where he does advocacy work with various government institutions to build capacities to understand queer and trans persons issues.

Saif Mahmood is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of India and an international lawyer, writer, scholar, and public speaker who divides his time between the UK and India. He is the author of the bestselling Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City & Her Greatest Poets (2018) and frequently speaks and writes on Urdu poetry, culture, and literary heritage. A widely recognized name in the South Asian Urdu world, Saif advises several literary and cultural organizations in both the UK and India. He holds a doctorate in law and is a Visiting Academic at the University of Oxford, where he researches the Mughal state’s treatment of Urdu poets of resistance and dissent.

Saikat Majumdar is the author of five novels, most recently The Remains of the Body, published as Penguin Random House’s 2024 Pride Month selection. His novel The Scent of God (2019), which explores the love between two teenage boys in a Hindu monastic boarding school, was a finalist for the inaugural Mathrubhumi Book Award. His other novels include The Firebird (2015), which tells the story of a young boy’s destructive obsession with his mother’s life as an actress, and The Middle Finger (2022), a queer, contemporary retelling of the Ekalavya story set on a college campus.

In addition to his fiction, Majumdar has authored four books of nonfiction and criticism, including The Amateur (2024) and College (2018), a popular exploration of liberal education in India. He has taught at Stanford University, been named a Newhouse Fellow at Wellesley College, and held fellowships at the Institutes of Advanced Study in JNU, Stellenbosch, and Budapest. He is currently a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Ashoka University.

Sandhya Mridul was born in Jaipur and later moved to New Delhi. She arrived in Mumbai years ago and after a successful stint in the corporate world found her true calling as an actress, since then she has enthralled audiences with her pivotal performances, dancing skills, vivacity and honesty while making her mark in every medium– be it television, film, theater or live performances. She quickly became wildly popular on the small screen with her performances in serials like Swabhimaan, Banegi Apni Baat, Koshish and Hu Ba Hu. Her show, Koshish Ek Asha in which she played the role of the female protagonist has been dubbed in Chinese and in the year 2005. She made her breakthrough in films with Yash Raj Films, in Saathiya in 2002. The film was critically and commercially successful and critics appreciated her performance. Her character Dina was an important supporting role that got her noticed and award nominations. She played a smart and honest airhostess, Pearl Sequeira, in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 in 2005. She has also been judged the runner-up at the popular dance show Jhalak Dhiklaa Jaa (season 2, 2007). In 2004, she acted in Pratap Sharma’s “Zen Katha”, a play based on the life of Buddha in Mumbai opposite Rajeev Gopalkrishnan. She starred with Mahesh Manjrekar in Double Deal directed by Mahesh Dattani, a play that is an adaptation of Richard Stockwell’s “A Killing Time”. Double Deal garnered immense success and acclaim both in India and abroad.

Saksham is a lifelong educationist who began her professional journey as a teacher and is now the principal of Army Public School in Jalandhar. She has immense empathy for each of her students and firmly believes that an educationist must be adaptable, ready to evolve with the ever-changing needs of young minds. Her empathetic nature has also helped her build a strong and loving relationship with her trans daughter, Katyayini, and the two share a deep mother-daughter bond. Katyayini is a video essayist.

Sandip Roy is an author, columnist, and podcaster based in Kolkata. He hosts The Sandip Roy Show for Indian Express, and his columns appear in Mint Lounge, The Hindu, The Times of India, and other publications. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, National Public Radio, BBC, Economic Times, and various anthologies such as Cat People, Queer View Mirror, Out! Stories from the New Queer India, The Phobic and the Erotic, and New California Writing 2011. Sandip was the longtime editor of Trikone, the first South Asian LGBTQ magazine. His award-winning debut novel is Don’t Let Him Know.

Satarupa Acharya, the mother of Yuvraj Acharya is a trained classical dancer, an entrepreneur and a passionate teacher. She has performed at national levels, both solo as well as with her group. She and her son Yuvraj Acharya together make heart touching content on Instagram which has led to thousands of people understanding that love is unconditional, and queerness should be celebrated. Yuvraj, as himself, is seen a queer content creator focused on de-gendering fashion, and has helped hundreds of queer kids feel more confident in their skin, love themselves, and embrace self-acceptance every day. He is currently a design student at the National Institute of Design and has been featured on various national and international platforms, including the cover of The Hindustan Times, Official Humans of Bombay, SheThePeopleTV, Social Ketchup, and Lipstick Politico, among others.

Saumyaa Vohra is an author and editor. She is the author of the novel One Night Only, published by Pan Macmillan India. She was previously the Lifestyle Editor at GQ India, Features Editor at Cosmopolitan India, and Editor-In-Chief at LBB. Her work as a journalist has appeared in various publications, including Vogue Italia, The Hindu, HT Brunch, Harper’s Bazaar India, GQ Espana, GQ Russia, GQ Italia, GQ France, GQ South Africa, Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka, Outlook, Elle India, Vogue India, Voice Of Fashion, The Established, Gaysi Mag, Asiaville, Outlook, Conde Nast’s Them, The Federal, and Cosmopolitan India.

After studying physics at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, Saurabh Kirpal pursued law at the University of Oxford and completed his master’s in law at the University of Cambridge. He had a brief stint with the United Nations in Geneva before returning to Delhi, where he has been practicing at the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court. Kirpal has been designated as a senior advocate by a unanimous court. His diverse legal expertise spans from commercial to constitutional law, including representing high-profile clients like Anil Ambani in his legal battle against his brother and Navtej Johar, Ritu Dalmia, and others in the landmark case that led to the reading down of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. He also argued the case seeking recognition of same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court.

A self-described ‘accidental activist,’ Kirpal is the managing trustee of the Naz Foundation Trust, the NGO that first fought for the decriminalization of homosexuality in India. He is the editor of Sex and the Supreme Court, an anthology on issues relating to law, gender, and sexuality, and the author of Fifteen Judgments: Cases that Shaped India’s Financial Landscape.

Shreya Munoth is an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court of India and a lawyer practicing human rights law with a focus on issues of gender justice in the courts in Delhi. She holds degrees in law from National Law University, Jodhpur and the University of Oxford. Shreya began her legal career with the dispute resolution team of Shardul Amarchand Mangladas. She has also worked at the Women’s Legal Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, on developing strategic litigation around issues of feminist justice. At present, she is a Partner at Chakravorty, Samson and Munoth, undertaking wide-ranging litigation with an attempt to foreground a rights-based lens in her work. She has been involved in litigation in India seeking to advance rights of transgender persons and rights-based interpretations of statutes governing domestic violence and sexual harassment at the workplace. Shreya has been part of the legal teams in Navtej Johar and Supriyo.

Shally Bhasin is a Partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., with over 25 years of experience in litigation. She graduated from the Law Faculty, University of Delhi, in 1996 and has been an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court of India since 2004.

A seasoned litigator, Shally has been involved in numerous impactful and high-stakes cases, working across a wide range of sectors, including telecom, steel, aviation, infrastructure, financial services, power, oil and gas, and banking. She has represented telecom companies in one of the industry’s largest cases, involving the recovery of around $7.8 billion in license fees by the government, appearing before the Supreme Court, the High Court of Kerala, and the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).

In addition, Shally has appeared before the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts, and national tribunals, such as TDSAT, NCLAT, NCLT, and NGT. Her expertise covers matters related to financial services, bankruptcy, infrastructure, environment, white-collar crime, tenders, breach of contract, damages, injunctions, breaches of fundamental rights, notifications, taxation, winding up, amalgamation, and de-merger.

As an independent lawyer, Shally advised, drafted, filed, appeared, and briefed senior counsels in the landmark case that led to the decriminalization of homosexuality under Section 377 of the IPC in the Supreme Court. She is currently involved in legal work advocating for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the High Court of Delhi.

Sharif is a writer, curator, workplace inclusion consultant and singer-songwriter. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books Straight to Normal: My Life as a Gay Man (2019) and Queersapien (2022).

A TEDx speaker, Sharif has addressed numerous global and local forums on communications, inclusion and multiculturalism hosted by the Canadian High Commission, the British High Commission, Public Relations Organisation International, International Communications Consultancy Organisation, Open For Business, the American Centre and corporations such as Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Adobe, Barclays, Microsoft, Stryker, WE and Cognizant.

The Festival Director of the award-winning Rainbow Lit Fest and Founder, The Rainbow Awards for Literature & Journalism, Sharif is also the frontman of Friends of Linger. His band’s track, ‘Head Held High’ is India’s first dedication to the LGBT+ community.

A believer that communications through discussions, talks, art, literature and music are key to influencing change, he brings together over 30 years of experience in the fields of journalism, research, PR and image management in all he does. He has worked with organizations such as The Pioneer and The Economic Timesin the media, and was the CEO and, later, chairman of Integral PR. Under his leadership the firm rose to the top 250 in the world!

Sharif has been on the PR Week Global Power List (2015) and was IPRCCA PR Person of the Year (2013). He is an advisor to the Global PR Trust and part of the Global Advisory Council for the London-based Diversity Economics Institute.

Simran Shaikh Bharucha is a dedicated trans woman and human rights advocate with a 24-year career focused on the rights and representation of marginalized communities across India. With a Ph.D. in Trans Psychology and a Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University, she has consulted for both national and international organizations on gender and sexual minority issues. Simran co-chairs a sub-committee in India’s Ministry of Health focused on creating a gender-sensitive framework for tuberculosis elimination and serves on the International Resource Group for Transgender People, advocating for trans rights globally.

Sindhu Rajasekaran (she/her/ள்) is an author, filmmaker, and researcher. Her debut novel Kaleidoscopic Reflections was nominated for the Crossword Book Award, and her latest nonfiction work, Smashing the Patriarchy, has garnered critical acclaim. Her poetry and prose have been featured in prestigious international literary magazines and anthologies, including The Room (a Canadian feminist magazine), New Writing Scotland 42 by the Association of Scottish Literature, and the Asia Literary Review.

Sindhu has also produced the award-winning Indo-British feature film Ramanujan. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Strathclyde, where she is a recipient of the Dean’s Global Research Award. Her research focuses on queer South Asian histories, creative epistemologies, and decolonial storytelling from a queer perspective.

Snigdha is a US and India-based filmmaker with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism and advertising. After working on documentaries in India, she started her filmmaking career as a cinematographer in the US. To highlight more nuanced narratives of the Indian diaspora, she began writing, directing, and producing. Her work explores themes of South Asian identity, gender, and societal norms.

She is a 2023 NewFest New Voices Grant semi-finalist. Her upcoming short, Holy Curse, a coming-of-age satire set in India of an eleven-year-old navigating gender norms in a traditional Indian society, is currently in post-production. Her first short screenplay, Look Like You was a top ten finalist at ScreenCraft (2019). The film has been selected at Outfest Fusion, Short Shorts & Asia, New Filmmakers LA, Asian American International Film Festival, winning the Audience award for the best narrative short film, London Indian Film Festival, and Athena Film Festival, to name a few. It is available to stream on BFI Player. 

Her other works have garnered recognition, having been selected and featured at Academy Award-qualifying festivals, Shorts TV, Delhi Art Gallery of New York, Oyster Magazine, and the Chilean Film Catalog, among others.

Sonali Khan is an LGBTQIA+ rights activist and social entrepreneur based in Delhi. As the Founder and Executive Director of the GLAD Foundation, she is dedicated to creating inclusive workplaces and empowering LGBTQIA+ individuals. Sonali has worked in various corporate roles before transitioning to the social impact sector, frequently advocating for gender sensitization in corporate spaces in India. Recognized for her leadership, she has completed fellowships with The Red Door, CREA, and Leading With Pride, honing her skills in digital safety, disability, mental health, and gender advocacy. Sonali has participated in various innovation challenges and worked with incubators such as UNDP’s YouthCoLab and Change Engine’s ACE program. With over six years of experience in corporate and social impact sectors, she has worked across multiple domains, empowering LGBTQIA+ individuals through career development and community programs. Sonali’s efforts are fueled by her personal experiences and an unwavering belief in collective action to foster societal acceptance and drive meaningful progress toward an inclusive society.

For over two and a half decades, Srini has been instrumental in cultivating inclusive and diverse work environments within Fortune 500 organizations. Through his strategic leadership, he has cultivated inclusive and diverse work environments where employees are empowered to reach their full potential.

In his previous roles as Head of Inclusion & Diversity at Cisco and Intuit for the India and Asia Pacific regions, Srini spearheaded initiatives that resulted in significant business value and industry recognition. His contributions to diversity and inclusion extend beyond the corporate realm. He serves as a Senior Advisor to several organizations, advocating for social welfare, equality, human rights, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development.

A Certified Diversity Professional (DTUI, USA) and Social Innovation Fellow (Amani Institute, India), Srini is a globally recognized advocate for LGBT+ equality. His commitment to this cause is exemplified by his numerous awards and speaking engagements, including the Role Model of the Year Award by MWICXIndia in 2024, United Nations LGBT+ Consultation (Berlin) in 2019, the TOP 100 Leaders of RAHM (London) in 2018, LGBT Champion Ally Award by Out & Equal Workplace Advocates (USA) in 2017 and D&I Leadership Award (South East Asia) by BD Foundation (India) in 2017.

In 2018, Srini transitioned to a full-time social entrepreneur, co-founding Pride Circle, a leading DEI Consulting organization with a mission to enable & empower the LGBT+ community, Allies, Educational Institutions, Organizations, & Society in fostering a culture of belonging for all.

Subhashish Mandal is the Design Director at Gensler, based in Bengaluru. An Interior Design Architect by qualification, he is a storyteller besides being a Menswear and Lifestyle Blogger constantly exploring an Indianness blended with the West. 

Belonging to the secretive time of gayness in the 80s and 90s, Subhashish is amongst those who found safety at Naz Foundation. Having lived with Section 377 for most of his life, today he is amongst the folks who carry themselves with gayness and Pride. 

Sudipta is a Dalit queer feminist journalist, gender expert, and writer with extensive experience in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and queer-trans rights. They work to bridge regional, national, and global policy engagement spaces, advocating for equitable, accessible, and quality SRHR services for gender-diverse adolescents and young people. Sudipta’s writing often addresses issues of caste, queerness, health, and culture, contributing to outlets such as Indian Express, Swaddle, Queerbeat, VillageSquare, MaveliNadu Collective, Feminism In India, and Sangya Project. Their work is deeply rooted in the narratives of those directly affected by social inequalities, offering nuanced insights into the complexities of social justice. Sudipta received the 2021 SCARF Media for Mental Health Award for excellence in reporting on mental health and was awarded MaveliNadu’s non-fiction grant in 2022 for contributing to a publication on Debrahmanising Gender, as well as CREA’s Storytelling grant in 2023.

Sudipto Pal is a writer, statistician, and data scientist. He regularly writes on LGBT topics as well as cultural and art history for major Bengali publications, including Anandabazar Patrika. Sudipto holds a postgraduate degree in Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and works in a leadership role in data science and behavioral economics. He has established and led employee resource groups for the LGBT community at his workplace, spearheading policies, hiring plans, and sensitization programs to foster inclusivity.

His non-fiction book Samakamita O Bibartan has helped demystify homosexuality and its evolutionary aspects for common readers in Bengali. Sudipto currently resides in Bangalore with his partner.

Sukhdeep Singh is a software professional working with a leading multi-national company. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Gaylaxy Magazine, an e-magazine that he founded in 2010 that provides a platform to the LGBTQ community in India and South Asia to express themselves and highlight their stories and issues. The magazine has over 250 contributors and 2000 posts, with an exclusive section in Hindi that remains the only one of its kind online LGBT resource in Hindi. Gaylaxy was awarded the Indiblogger Award 2017 for Gender Equality. His writings have appeared in Huffington Post India, Trikone Magazine (USA), Varta, and Germany based travel portal Ebab. He is the contributor to the chapter on Sikhism and Homosexuality in the book ‘I Am Divine So Are You’ about Karmic Faiths and Sexuality that has an introduction by Devdutt Pattanaik. He has written various articles on Sikhism and its acceptance of homosexuality, challenging the stand of SGPC and Akal Takht that Sikhism is against homosexuality and forbids it. He is the director of Sab Rab De Bande, a documenatry on LGBTQ Sikhs. He was awarded the January Marie Lapuz Youth Leadership Award for 2016 by Canada based Sher Vancouver “because of the significant influence and impact he is having on advancing LGBTQ+ rights in India and South Asia and abroad, not to mention his innovative use of technology on various platforms to create more awareness of LGBTQ+ issues.” He was awarded the Global Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2017 and the 100 Top Global Diversity and Inclusion Leaders in 2018 at the World HRD Congress. He is a fellow of Salzburg Global LGBT Seminar.

Taru Dahiya is the Managing Director of SMB & Startups for Google Cloud with regional responsibility for Asia Pacific and Japan. She has over 2 decades of experience in diverse roles in the Technology and Digital Advertising industry across Sales, Operations, and General Management roles. Taru also serves as an executive sponsor for LGBTQIA+ resource group at Google and was featured in the top 25 Indian Women Leaders in the Economic Times Women Ahead.

Thodur Madabusi Krishna is one of the pre-eminent vocalists in the rigorous Karnatik tradition of India’s classical music. His training in this form, which originated in the southern peninsula of the subcontinent nearly five hundred years ago, has been under the distinguished gurus B. Seetharama Sarma, Chengalpet Ranganathan, and Semmangudi Srinivasier, placing him among the highest reaches of this time-honored system. At the same time, he has come to occupy a markedly distinct place in the Karnatik universe, known for the stunning individuality of his renditions, characterized by an inner luminosity and passionate intensity that are uniquely his own.

Krishna belongs to a tradition but is not owned by it. His concert stage, whether in his hometown of Chennai or anywhere else in the world, remains wholly classical, yet his concert practice is uncompromisingly his own.

As a public intellectual, Krishna speaks and writes about issues affecting the human condition and matters of culture. His path-breaking book, A Southern Music – The Karnatik Story, published by HarperCollins in 2013, was the first of its kind—a philosophical, aesthetic, and socio-political exploration of Karnatik music. For this work, he was awarded the 2014 Tata Literature Award for Best First Book in the non-fiction category. His latest book, Sebastian and Sons, published by Context in 2020, traces the history of the mridangam-maker and the mridangam over the past century, receiving the Tata Lit Live Award for the Best Non-Fiction book of 2020.

Krishna has participated in inspiring musical productions and collaborations, such as the Chennai Poromboke Paadal with environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman, performances with the Jogappas (transgender musicians), and co-conceptualizing and performing Karnatik Kattaikuttu, an unusual aesthetic conversation between art forms and communities that belong to two ends of the social spectrum. His musico-poetic partnership with India’s leading contemporary Tamil writer, Perumal Murugan, is unprecedented; rarely have a poet and musician, who are contemporaries, collaborated to create works of art on the ‘classical’ stage.

He has also pioneered bringing the poetry of the social reformer and philosopher Sree Narayana Guru into the Karnatik fold. In collaboration with Ashoka University, T.M. Krishna is currently involved in The Edict Project, an attempt to reimagine Ashoka’s edicts in musical form. This project aims to create vibrant aesthetic, socio-political, and academic conversations around the edicts. He is the driving force behind the Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha (formerly Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha) and the Svanubhava initiatives. Krishna has been recognized for both his musical contributions and socio-cultural work.

In 2016, he received international recognition for his forceful commitment as an artist and advocate for art’s power to heal India’s deep social divisions when he was awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. In 2017, he received the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award for his services in promoting and preserving national integration in India, as well as the revered Isai Perarignar Award from the Tamil Isai Sangam for his contributions to Tamil music. In 2019, he received the Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram, the highest honor for musicians instituted by the Kerala State Government. In 2021, he was awarded the Pasumai Award in memory of Dr. Jeevanandam, a well-respected Gandhian and social worker.

Urvashi Butalia is the co-founder of India’s first feminist publishing house, Kali for Women, established in 1984. When Kali shut down in 2003, she launched Zubaan, another feminist imprint. Butalia has been actively involved in the women’s movement in India for a long time and is an independent researcher and writer who publishes widely on various gender-related issues. Among her best-known publications is The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India, an award-winning oral history of Partition. The book received the Oral History Book Association Award in 2001 and the Nikkei Asia Award for Culture in 2003. She is currently working on the life of her hijra friend, Mona Ahmed.

Vaivab Das is a PhD scholar at IIT Delhi and currently a Fulbright Nehru Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. Their work focuses on understanding how transgender and gender nonconforming individuals navigate citizenship and elections as voters, political representatives, and dissidents.

As a student, Vaivab has actively worked towards the recognition of diverse gender and sexual minorities as protected categories, building gender-affirming infrastructures, and creating community spaces for LGBTQIA+ students in various educational institutions.

They are also the co-founder of the LGBTQIA+ rights watchdog page, Yes, We Exist.

Vikram Kolmannskog (b. 1980) is a writer, psychotherapist, and full professor of gestalt psychotherapy. He has a mixed heritage, with a Norwegian father and a mother born in Kenya to Gujarati parents. Vikram lives just outside Oslo with his husband, Daniel. His writing is influenced by queerness, as well as a material and sensual spirituality. His latest book, The Garden Tantra (Red River, 2023), has been described as “exuberant and beautiful, showing a direct insight into the inherent harmony of the universe” (Mani Rao).

Vivek is the Head of the Institute of International Education (IIE) India and has spent several years managing scholarship and fellowship programs for the British Council and the Ford Foundation. Based in New Delhi, he is a former Director of Arts for the British Council. In addition to his administrative roles, Vivek produces, directs, and acts in theatre and films, primarily in English. He is also the Artistic Director of the theatre group Scene Stealers.

Yash is the founder of one of the leading digital storytelling platforms for queer folks, @officialhumansofqueer (OHOQ). In a short span of four years, the platform has delivered over 1100 features on queer life through Instagram stories, posts, blogs and live conversations, leading it to be nominated twice for the Cosmo Bloggers Award under the LGBTQIA+ Voices of the Year. 

Just 25 years old and with a deep desire to serve society, particularly the queer community, he acquired an MA in Social Work in 2023. Along the way, he spent over a year with Impulse New Delhi first as its Director in charge of Advocacy and later, leading their Events division. Most recently, he set up the OHOQ Foundation, hoping to build a more structured system by which he can document, record and bring authentic lives of queer people to society. Under the Foundation, he most recently launched Queer30, an initiative to recognise organisations across India, working for the visibility of queer. 

He was recently named in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 for Social Impact. Yash uses their personal account to discuss HIV, sexual health, and related topics in a very engaging manner! He has also been associated with the Rainbow Awards for Literature & Journalism, as its coordinator.

Yogi and Kabeer, former radio presenters from Radio Mirchi, are the hosts of the award-winning podcast Shuddh Desi Gay, a Spotify Original. Their podcast won the Best Self-Love and Motivation Podcast category at the Hubhopper Podcast Awards 2022 and Excellence in Media in the Outstanding Podcast category at the Likho Awards 2024 by The Humsafar Trust. Last year, they became the faces of India’s first same-sex partner insurance policy, featured on outdoor hoardings across the country. Recently, they were honored as the LGBTQIA+ Voice of the Year at the Cosmopolitan Blogger Awards 2024.