Acceptance, inclusivity and diversity are some of the key ideas these speakers personify as they bring their voice to the LGBTQ+ community. Engage with these leading voices to bring their embracing and often penetrating perspectives to your audience – from LGBTQ2S+ leadership and rights activism to understanding the gender spectrum through mythology, addressing homophobia and transphobia in the workplace and beyond.
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil: Social Activist | Chairperson & Co-Founder, Lakshya Trust
Prince Manvendra created shock waves when he declared himself gay in the media, becoming the first royalty in India to come out of the closet. Passionate about LGBT rights, Manvendra talks about the importance of diversity in the corporate world and how to be more tolerant and accepting, linking them to how he battled societal challenges.
Vasu Primlani: Stand-Up Comedian | Triathlete | Motivational Speaker
Vasu is a stand-up comedian, somatic therapy expert, triathlete, and environmentalist who stimulates a knack for creativity in her audience. One of the leading female comedians of India, Vasu is known for her dry wit and deadpan expression while she delivers performances that tackle serious issues such as the environment, human rights and rape.
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi: Human Rights Activist
Laxmi was the first transgender rights activist to represent Asia pacific in UN 2008. She has served NGOs which conduct LGBT activist work. And in 2007, she started her own organisation, Astitva which works to promote the welfare of sexual minorities, their support and development. From her own experience and in her unique bold and brave way, she talks about the struggles of being transgender but also of the sheer beauty of it.
Devdutt Pattanaik: Author | Mythologist | Leadership Coach
Devdutt Pattanaik writes on relevance of mythology in modern times. Author of 50 books and 1000 columns, including several bestsellers, he is known for his innovative approach that taps into uplifting anecdotes and lessons from mythology. He speaks extensively about gender expression, fluidity and diversity in Indian mythology.
Deepak Kashyap: Counsellor | Columnist | LGBTQ+ Activist
Deepak Kashyap (He/Him) is a counselling therapist and life skills trainer with extensive experience in corporate wellness and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Deepak’s expertise lies in developing and delivering programs for organisational mental health initiatives, anti-racism and anti-oppression frameworks, Diversity and Inclusion training and LGBTQ2S+ leadership and rights activism.
Sharif D Rangnekar: Author | Former Journalist | Human Rights Activist
Creator of the Rainbow Lit Fest – Queer & Inclusive, Sharif is an author; communications consultant; a curator focused on diversity, inclusion, music and arts, and a singer – songwriter. With over 25 years of experience in the fields of media, publishing, research and public relations, he uses talks, writing, event curation and music, to advocate change and garner support for the LGBTQ+ community. Sharif’s book Straight to Normal – My Life As A Gay Man, released in early 2019, is amongst the few queer memoirs out of India and the first since the reading down of Section 377. The best-seller has been recognised by not just sections of the media but by leaders across academics, politics, human rights, literature and films.
Kalki Subramaniam: Transgender Activist
Kalki Subramaniam is a celebrated Indian transgender activist, artist, entrepreneur, poet, actor and inspirational speaker. Kalki is the founder of Sahodari Foundation, an organization that works for Indian transgender population through its powerful and innovative art projects. Being a champion of transgender rights in India, Kalki has spoken to over a million students and is well known for her relentless activism. She was one of the prominent activists who lobbied for the recognition of legal rights for transgender people and was one among the activists responsible for the milestone victory in 2014 when the Supreme court of India finally recognized the transgender community’s civil rights in the country.
Gazal Dhaliwal: Screenwriter
Gazal is one of the most sought-after screenwriters currently working in the Hindi film industry. She is widely recognized for writing the screenplay and dialogues for Vinod Chopra Films’ Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, starring Rajkummar Rao, Anil Kapoor, and Sonam K Ahuja. She has also worked as a dialogue writer on Alankrita Shrivastava’s critically acclaimed Lipstick Under My Burkha. Gazal was recently the head writer on Netflix’s Mismatched, a Hindi-language coming-of-age series based on the book ‘When Dimple Met Rishi’ by Sandhya Menon, produced by RSVP. She also wrote a short story for Netflix’s recent anthology Feels Like Ishq. She is currently collaborating with another leading Indian writer on a feature project.
Reach out to our team to identify the right voices and formats for your Pride Month engagements, cutting across keynotes, panels, influencer engagements, D&I expertise, advice, coaching, training and more. Write to us at connect@tosb.in
