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.
