Ashok Row Kavi and LGBTQ+ Movement in India

 Ashok Row  Kavi and LGBTQ+ Movement in India

 

Ashok Row Kavi is one of the prominent LGBTQ+ activists in India. He is a crusader for the rights of LGBTQ+ community.

He was born in the city of Bombay,  (now Mumbai ) on 1^st  June 1947 . He is a chemistry graduate of the University of Mumbai. Later on he studied Journalism from International institute for Journalism, Berlin and worked as Journalist for leading newspapers like The Daily, The Indian Express and The Free Press Journal. Later on in the year 1990 he started Bombay Dost, a magazine dealing with the various issues and problems of LGBTQ+ community .

It was the first magazine covering different areas related to LGBTQ+ community.

Ashok Row Kavi also worked for creating awareness about HIV AIDS among LGBTQ+ people.

He also formed The Humsafar Trust. The Humsafar Trust promoted an unique project called “LIKHO” in order to make the new generation persons from LGBTQ+ community to express their views about Homosexuality and HIV. He also started the ‘Likho Awards’  with the ‘Blued’ which is world’s largest Gay social network app.

Famous film personalities such as Imran khan , Kalki Koechlin and Manoj Bajpayee have appeared on the cover of ‘Bombay Dost’.

Ashok Row Kavi has worked very closely with Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS).

Ashok Row Kavi could be considered the first famous person belonging to LGBTQ+ community from India.

One more important LGBTQ+ activist from India fighting especially for queer rights is Pavan Dhall . He lives in Kolkata. He is the founder member of ‘Varta Trust’ which works for the LGBTQ+ community. He was inspired to work for LGBTQ+ persons after reading a book titled ‘The World of Homosexuals’ written by Shakuntana Devi. He realised that he was Gay when he was seventeen years old . After the completion of graduation he worked as a journalist for a leading business daily, Business Standard . He worked closely with Ashok Row Kavi.

Due to his efforts mainly the council club was started in Kolkata in 1993 . Through council club LGBTQ+ persons were asked to write about their problems and even advice stations were organised for them. There is no doubt that after Ashok Row Kavi , Pavan Dhall is the most important LGBTQ+ leader or activists from India.

There is a need to sensitise the society about the LGBTQ+ community and their problems. They are also part of Human society and hence should be treated with dignity. We should accept them as equal citizens  of the world and should not be looked down upon . They need help , cooperation and  love e and affection from society at large.