Rio – Rainbow Lit Fest

Anjali Gopalan (She / Her)

Anjali Gopalan is the Founder and Executive Director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, an organization dedicated to addressing the needs of marginalized communities, especially those impacted by HIV/AIDS. After completing her Masters in International Development in the United States, she returned to India in the early 1990s to establish Naz India, focusing on HIV prevention and care for affected individuals. Anjali has been a tireless advocate for people living with HIV, continuously pushing the boundaries in the field of HIV/AIDS awareness and care. A passionate supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights, Anjali played a pivotal role in the legal battle to decriminalize homosexuality in India. In 2001, Naz India filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized same-sex relations. The 2009 Delhi High Court ruling, in favor of Naz India, marked a significant victory for LGBTQIA+ rights and individual freedoms. In 2023, she launched The New Delhi LGBTQIA+ Centre, India's first wellness, cultural, and outreach center for the queer community. Anjali is also dedicated to animal welfare and established the animal sanctuary ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ in Haryana. She currently serves as a Board Member of the Animal Welfare Board of India. Her exceptional work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Woman Achiever Award by the Government of India in 2007, recognition by Time magazine as one of the '100 Most Influential People in the World' in 2012, and the prestigious French honour, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.

Human & Animal Rights Activist, Founder, Naz Foundation

Anjali Gopalan (She / Her)

Anjali Gopalan is the Founder and Executive Director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust, an organization dedicated to addressing the needs of marginalized communities, especially those impacted by HIV/AIDS. After completing her Masters in International Development in the United States, she returned to India in the early 1990s to establish Naz India, focusing on HIV prevention and care for affected individuals. Anjali has been a tireless advocate for people living with HIV, continuously pushing the boundaries in the field of HIV/AIDS awareness and care. A passionate supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights, Anjali played a pivotal role in the legal battle to decriminalize homosexuality in India. In 2001, Naz India filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized same-sex relations. The 2009 Delhi High Court ruling, in favor of Naz India, marked a significant victory for LGBTQIA+ rights and individual freedoms. In 2023, she launched The New Delhi LGBTQIA+ Centre, India's first wellness, cultural, and outreach center for the queer community. Anjali is also dedicated to animal welfare and established the animal sanctuary ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ in Haryana. She currently serves as a Board Member of the Animal Welfare Board of India. Her exceptional work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Woman Achiever Award by the Government of India in 2007, recognition by Time magazine as one of the '100 Most Influential People in the World' in 2012, and the prestigious French honour, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.

Human & Animal Rights Activist, Founder, Naz Foundation

Ankur Paliwal (He / Him)

Ankur Paliwal is an independent journalist, and founder and managing editor of queerbeat, a collaborative media venture focused on building public understanding of queerness in India. Before starting queerbeat, Ankur was travelling across India, and east and west Africa covering stories of underreported people and places. He has written many award-winning longform features on science, health and the environment for various publications including the Guardian, Nature and FiftyTwo. He has a master’s degree in science journalism from the Columbia University in New York. He lives in New Delhi.

Award-winning journalist & Founder and Managing Editor, Queerbeat

Ankur Paliwal

Ankur Paliwal is an independent journalist, and founder and managing editor of queerbeat, a collaborative media venture focused on building public understanding of queerness in India. Before starting queerbeat, Ankur was travelling across India, and east and west Africa covering stories of underreported people and places. He has written many award-winning longform features on science, health and the environment for various publications including the Guardian, Nature and FiftyTwo. He has a master’s degree in science journalism from the Columbia University in New York. He lives in New Delhi.

Award-winning journalist & Founder and Managing Editor, Queerbeat

Don Hasar (She/They)

Don Hasar is a Queer-Trans* Rights Activist and a Cultural Resistance Worker. They have co-founded Himachal Queer Foundation(HQF), an organisation working for the rights of the LGBTQIAP+ community in rural mountainous Himalayas, where there is very little dialogue around gender and sexuality. HQF works primarily in Himachal Pradesh and in other neighbouring Himalayan states. Don’s work is centred around diversity with relation to various socio-cultural and regional nuances and acknowledging them while engaging with any community(es). Currently they are working and researching Pahari culture and dialects in Himachal Pradesh and how they impact lives which do not fit into established and assigned boxes of Gender and Sexuality. They are working around creating a local Queer-Trans*vocabulary and other modes of expression through songs, stories and other media, borrowing from local socio-cultural themes. They firmly believe that any field of arts is instrumental in mobilising voices, keeping the regional context in mind. Practice of Transfeminist* Intersectionality lies at the core of their work. They love to cook and sing when they are not working. Don is one of the petitioners for establishment of the Transgender* Welfare Board in Himachal Pradesh. They are also currently of the core members and India Representative for South Asian Transgender and Non Binary Network. At present, they are also working as a consultant for Women’s Fund Asia on a comprehensive report on Strengthening Women and Trans* leadership in India and serving as part of FRIDAFund’s Global Advisory Committee. Don aims to work around Global Trans* Advocacy, with a keen focus on Cultures, Policies, Legalities in rural spaces and the intersections between each of these in the light of Queer-Trans* welfare measures.

Don Hasar (She/They)

Anjali Gopalan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Naz Foundation (India) Trust, a Delhi-based NGO dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS. She is also the founder of All Creatures Great & Small, an NGO that provides shelter and help to animals. She has been at the forefront of the battle to decriminalize homosexuality. While she runs a shelter home for HIV-infected orphaned children, her NGO is now creating Delhi’s first LGBTQ centre, a significant initiative for the queer community that struggles to find a safe space. She has been accorded a number of awards and recognitions including the Commonwealth Award, the Woman Achiever’s Award from the Ministry of Women & Child Development and The Ashoka Fellow. She was also listed by Time Magazine in 2009 as the 100 most influential People in the World and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 amongst a long list of accolades.

Rituparna Borah

Rituparna is a queer feminist and indigenous activist living with disabilities, as well as a prominent voice in the LGBTQIA+ community. With over 18 years of experience advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights, she co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of Nazariya: A Queer Feminist Resource Group. Rituparna has contributed significantly to POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment), DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and gender and sexuality initiatives. She has also served on advisory boards for organizations and programs such as LBQ Connect of Outright Action International, and Rainbow Lit Fest. As an experienced trainer and peer counsellor, she has developed curricula and chapters for several educational institutions.

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Nazariya - QFRG

Rituparna Borah

Rituparna is a queer feminist and indigenous activist living with disabilities, as well as a prominent voice in the LGBTQIA+ community. With over 18 years of experience advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights, she co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of Nazariya: A Queer Feminist Resource Group. Rituparna has contributed significantly to POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment), DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and gender and sexuality initiatives. She has also served on advisory boards for organizations and programs such as LBQ Connect of Outright Action International, and Rainbow Lit Fest. As an experienced trainer and peer counsellor, she has developed curricula and chapters for several educational institutions.

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Nazariya - QFRG

Dr Saif Mahmood

Dr. Saif Mahmood, author of the bestselling Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City and Her Greatest Poets [New Delhi: Speaking Tiger, 2018, 2024], is a leading voice on Urdu poetry and its cultural legacy. A globally sought-after speaker, he works to showcase the richness of Urdu poetic traditions, framing poetry as a living cultural document. The legendary Zia Mohyeddin described him as “one of those rare intellectuals who know how to wear their intellect. The depth he has brought to the work of Urdu poets and their relationship to the culture and the society they lived in is astounding.” Saif serves as Vice President of Urdu Culture London and Trustee of Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu UK, actively working to preserve and promote Urdu’s literary and cultural heritage. An international lawyer, legal scholar and Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, Saif holds a doctorate in law and divides his time between London and New Delhi. He has been cited by the Supreme Court of India and has served as Visiting Academic in Law at the University of Oxford, examining the Mughal State’s treatment of Urdu poets of resistance.

Author & International Lawyer

Dr. Saif Mahmood

Dr. Saif Mahmood, author of the bestselling Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City and Her Greatest Poets [New Delhi: Speaking Tiger, 2018, 2024], is a leading voice on Urdu poetry and its cultural legacy. A globally sought-after speaker, he works to showcase the richness of Urdu poetic traditions, framing poetry as a living cultural document. The legendary Zia Mohyeddin described him as “one of those rare intellectuals who know how to wear their intellect. The depth he has brought to the work of Urdu poets and their relationship to the culture and the society they lived in is astounding.” Saif serves as Vice President of Urdu Culture London and Trustee of Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu UK, actively working to preserve and promote Urdu’s literary and cultural heritage. An international lawyer, legal scholar and Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, Saif holds a doctorate in law and divides his time between London and New Delhi. He has been cited by the Supreme Court of India and has served as Visiting Academic in Law at the University of Oxford, examining the Mughal State’s treatment of Urdu poets of resistance.

Author & International Lawyer

Sandip Roy

Sandip Roy is a columnist and podcaster based in Kolkata. His audio dispatches from Kolkata for public radio KALW 91.7FM have crossed 500 episodes. He is the host of The Sandip Roy Show on Indian Express and a columnist for Mint Lounge and the Hindu. He is the author of the novel Don't Let Him Know.

Journalist, Podcaster, Columnist & Author

Sandip Roy

Sandip Roy is a columnist and podcaster based in Kolkata. His audio dispatches from Kolkata for public radio KALW 91.7FM have crossed 500 episodes. He is the host of The Sandip Roy Show on Indian Express and a columnist for Mint Lounge and the Hindu. He is the author of the novel Don't Let Him Know.

Journalist, Podcaster, Columnist & Author

Vivek Mansukhani

Vivek is the founder and the Artistic Director of New Delhi based theatre company Scene Stealers. He has directed several theatre productions such as Delhirious!, Let There Be Love, God of Carnage, No Room For Love, Funny Money, Duet for Three, Don’t Dress For Dinner, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), An Absolute Turkey, Rumours, Identities, Strictly Dandiya. Vivek co-directed the musical The Chorus Line and produced the musical Much Ado About Nautanki and Seven Steps Around The Fire. His acting credits include productions of Delhirious!, Animals Out Of Paper, The Perfect Evening, Lend Me A Tenor, Art, Tara, Bravely Fought The Queen, William Shakespeare’s Othello : A Play in Black and White (which won the Edinburgh Fringe First in 1999), O Come Bulky Stomach, Habeas Corpus, Antigone, Six Degrees of Separation, It’s All About Sex Honey, A Perfect Evening, Plan in Peril. For theatre with children he has adapted and co-directed musicals such as Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, The Wiz, Nutcracker, The Sound of Music. He wrote and co-directed the original plays Major Hype and the Magic Hoopla, Bhangra on the Moon, SNAP! The Musical and Theatre Express. Vivek made his screen debut in the film In Othello and played cameos in the films Dil Dosti etc. and Axone. He has worked with The Action Players, India’s only deaf theatre company, as voicing actor. He has performed in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Edinburgh, London, Cairo, Bonn, Harare and Taipei. Vivek has conducted workshops in theatre for schools, colleges and media institutions. He has done voiceovers for film, television, commercials and audio books. He has conceptualized and directed several launch events for corporates. Vivek headed the British Council’s Scholarships division, then served as Director of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program. Following his role as Director Arts, India at the British Council, he is currently the India Head of the Institute of International Education.

Educationist, Theatre Director & Actor

Vivek Mansukhani

Vivek is the founder and the Artistic Director of New Delhi based theatre company Scene Stealers. He has directed several theatre productions such as Delhirious!, Let There Be Love, God of Carnage, No Room For Love, Funny Money, Duet for Three, Don’t Dress For Dinner, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), An Absolute Turkey, Rumours, Identities, Strictly Dandiya. Vivek co-directed the musical The Chorus Line and produced the musical Much Ado About Nautanki and Seven Steps Around The Fire. His acting credits include productions of Delhirious!, Animals Out Of Paper, The Perfect Evening, Lend Me A Tenor, Art, Tara, Bravely Fought The Queen, William Shakespeare’s Othello : A Play in Black and White (which won the Edinburgh Fringe First in 1999), O Come Bulky Stomach, Habeas Corpus, Antigone, Six Degrees of Separation, It’s All About Sex Honey, A Perfect Evening, Plan in Peril. For theatre with children he has adapted and co-directed musicals such as Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, The Wiz, Nutcracker, The Sound of Music. He wrote and co-directed the original plays Major Hype and the Magic Hoopla, Bhangra on the Moon, SNAP! The Musical and Theatre Express. Vivek made his screen debut in the film In Othello and played cameos in the films Dil Dosti etc. and Axone. He has worked with The Action Players, India’s only deaf theatre company, as voicing actor. He has performed in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Edinburgh, London, Cairo, Bonn, Harare and Taipei. Vivek has conducted workshops in theatre for schools, colleges and media institutions. He has done voiceovers for film, television, commercials and audio books. He has conceptualized and directed several launch events for corporates. Vivek headed the British Council’s Scholarships division, then served as Director of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program. Following his role as Director Arts, India at the British Council, he is currently the India Head of the Institute of International Education.

Educationist, Theatre Director & Actor

Eric Chopra

Eric Chopra is the founder of Itihāsology, an inclusive platform dedicated to Indian history and art. He is a writer and podcaster who focuses on histories of aesthetics, heritage, emotions, sexuality, and the otherworld. A key aspect of his work is making history accessible and engaging for public discourse.

Writer, Podcaster & Founder, Itihasology

Eric Chopra

Eric Chopra is the founder of Itihāsology, an inclusive platform dedicated to Indian history and art. He is a writer and podcaster who focuses on histories of aesthetics, heritage, emotions, sexuality, and the otherworld. A key aspect of his work is making history accessible and engaging for public discourse.

Writer, Podcaster & Founder, Itihasology

Sonal Giani

Sonal Giani is a leading advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, gender inclusion, and social justice, with over eighteen years of experience in activism, policy advocacy, and capacity building. She has played a pivotal role in amplifying queer voices across South Asia and shaping inclusive policies within organizations. A former board member of UNAIDS, Sonal has contributed to global conversations on gender and LGBTQIA+ inclusion, influencing policies and advocacy efforts at an international level. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 'Diversity Leadership Award' by the World HRD Conference and the 'Queero' Award by Six Degrees, an LGBTQ Growth Network celebrating her contributions to social change. Beyond policy and activism, Sonal has made significant media appearances, including being featured in ZEE TV’s prime-time television show Connected Hum Tum. She has been featured in Femina, Cosmopolitan, The Better India, Firstpost, and other media platforms for her impact on the queer rights movement. She has also worked on mainstream entertainment projects, including casting and advisory roles in films and web series centered on LGBTQIA+ narratives. With a deep commitment to equity and empowerment, Sonal continues to mentor young changemakers and drive intersectional inclusion in leadership, workplaces, and cultural spaces.

Activist, DEI Consultant, Coach & Mentor

Sonal Giani

Sonal Giani is a leading advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, gender inclusion, and social justice, with over eighteen years of experience in activism, policy advocacy, and capacity building. She has played a pivotal role in amplifying queer voices across South Asia and shaping inclusive policies within organizations. A former board member of UNAIDS, Sonal has contributed to global conversations on gender and LGBTQIA+ inclusion, influencing policies and advocacy efforts at an international level. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 'Diversity Leadership Award' by the World HRD Conference and the 'Queero' Award by Six Degrees, an LGBTQ Growth Network celebrating her contributions to social change. Beyond policy and activism, Sonal has made significant media appearances, including being featured in ZEE TV’s prime-time television show Connected Hum Tum. She has been featured in Femina, Cosmopolitan, The Better India, Firstpost, and other media platforms for her impact on the queer rights movement. She has also worked on mainstream entertainment projects, including casting and advisory roles in films and web series centered on LGBTQIA+ narratives. With a deep commitment to equity and empowerment, Sonal continues to mentor young changemakers and drive intersectional inclusion in leadership, workplaces, and cultural spaces.

Activist, DEI Consultant, Coach & Mentor