It’s LGBTQIA pride month– a time to take pride in who you are and celebrate the strength of love and equality. Though one does not need a special occasion to honor the community, the month of June is observed as pride month across the globe to raise awareness and to promote the rights of long-marginalised LGBTQIA community.

From politics to fashion, media to development, those who belong to the LGBTQIA community are now making their mark in every sphere of life. But the LGBTQIA rights movement hasn’t always been where it is now, and its success wouldn’t have been possible without these phenomenal activists. Let’s know who they are.

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Marsha P Johnson

Johnson is one of the most celebrated LGBTQIA icons across the world. She was a black, activist, drag performer, sex worker, model and trans, everything one must not be in America during the 1960s. Often referred to as the ‘Rosa Parks of the LGBTQIA movement’, Johnson fiercely fought for LGBTQIA rights, at a time when doing so would get people killed.

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She was a prominent name in the 1960s gay rights movement and also ignited the flames of revolution that later became the foundation of the Stonewall riots that catalysed the movement and inspired several pride marches ever since.

Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay politician to be elected in America’s California. In his tenure, he introduced legislation to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The bill was passed by one dissenting vote. That was of city supervisor Dan White

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In 1978, Milk was assassinated by Dan White and became an LBTQI icon. Harvey Milk was also the subject of an Oscar-winning film ‘Milk’.

Ashok Row Kavi

An eminent journalist and founder of India’s first gay magazine ‘Bombay Dost’, Ashok Kavi is India’s first and oldest gay activist. Ashok opened up about his sexuality for the first time in a tell-all interview published in Savvy magazine in 1986.

He is also the founder of ‘The Humsafar Trust’. The organisation is one of the leading civil trusts to work for the queer awareness cause.

Gauri Sawant

Born a man, Gauri Sawant was never comfortable the way she was until she took a bold step to follow her heart and identified herself as a Trans woman. An inspiration to countless people, Gauri runs 

trust Sakhi Char Chowghi that works for the rights of trans people.  

That’s not all, Gauri maa is also a mother figure children at Aaji Cha Ghar where kids of sex workers relive their childhood.