Instagram has grown in popularity as a platform for people to express themselves through their content and raise awareness about a variety of issues. With their high-quality work, many of them have gained clout among Instagram users.
Social media has also offered the queer community a platform to not only be seen and heard but also to educate others. Thankfully, India’s own LGBTQIA influencers are ensuring that everyone feels inclusive on the internet.
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Dr. Trinetra H. Gummaraju
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Dr. Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju is a well-known queer influencer on social media, with over 195k Instagram followers. She also has her own YouTube channel, where she educates and promotes awareness on issues such as gender and sexuality, among other things.
She has also worked with other personalities in the past, such as Kusha Kapila and Srishti Dixit, to educate the public about the LGBTQI+ community. She recently made history by becoming Karnataka’s first trans woman surgeon.
Anwesh Sahoo
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Anwesh Sahoo, a 20-year-old artist, blogger, model, dancer, and motivational speaker, was crowned Mr. Gay World India 2016 at the age of 20. He also competed in the Mr. Gay World 2016 pageant, reaching the Top 12 as India’s representative.
He graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi and now works at HDFC Bank as a manager (visual design specialist). On his Instagram account @the.effeminare, he shares gorgeous illustrations and photoshoots illustrating gender non-conformity, LGBT pride, and more.
Priyanka Paul
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Priyanka Paul, aka @artwhoring, is a poet, writer, storyteller, illustrator, and content producer who self-taught herself. She is a Bahujan woman who is well-known for advocating for social and political justice on the basis of caste, gender, and other identities. The 22-year-old artist has gained international acclaim for her incredible artworks, which reflect a progressive, daring, and edgy approach to women’s liberation.
Furthermore, despite the orchestrated slander by far-right-wing trolls, her fortitude and drive to stand by her convictions and stance and speak against caste-based atrocities and other forms of casteist normalization makes us appreciate her even more.
Sushant Divgikar
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Sushant Divgikar is a well-known model, actor, video jockey, and performer who has starred in several television series. Above all, he is a drag performer and LGBTQIA+ activist. He has crowned Mr. Gay India in 2014 and went on to represent India at Mr. Gay World. In addition to hosting a number of television shows, he was a participant in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2018.
In 2019, Divgikar became a member of Rainbow Riots, a global organization and artist collective dedicated to LGBTQ equality and rights. During Stockholm Pride that same year, he released the tune ‘I’m Coming Out’. He also recently released Diamond, his first independent single.
Rishi Raj
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Rishi Raj is a poet, educator, intersectional LGBTQIAP+, and anti-caste campaigner. He/him/his, as well as they/them/their, are Rishi’s pronouns. He is from the Bahujan community and lives in Delhi.
Through his poetry, films, and subtitles, he has used his internet presence to educate netizens about caste and gay concerns. Despite being outed by a neighbor when he was 14, he went on to become the brave and opinionated man he is now, and he is extremely proud of who he is.
Alok Menon
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Alok Menon is regarded as one of the world’s first pioneers of unrestricted fashion. Alok’s pronouns are they/them/their, and he identifies as a gender non-conforming person. Menon is a motivational speaker, author, performer, fashionista, model, and media figure. They are a jack of all trades who employ a combination of art, fashion design, comedy, sound art, ramp displays, social media, and other means of communication to promote their opinions and activism and to explore topics of gender, sexuality, race, human existence, and pain.
They aggressively promote abolishing rigid and binary gender stereotypes and raising awareness of body diversity and gender neutrality, with a global presence in over 40 countries.
Maitrayanee Mahanta
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Maitrayanee Mahanta is an Assamese social media influencer on the rise. She is a content writer, model, and artist who is pursuing her master’s degree while also studying for UPSC examinations. She and her partner, Neeta, are one of the most popular couples in the North-East India online community.
They have appeared in Ritviz’s music video Raahi. They’ve also worked with Dolly Singh on two occasions. They’ve also appeared in the music video Lullaby by Trivarg Arandhara, a Guwahati-based indie artist. Her photoshoots are a way for her to show her queerness and love for her partner.
These queer content creators share their personal stories and experiences as members of the queer community, all while advocating for representation equality. By following these accounts, you’ll get a variety of stories and perspectives, as well as a variety of humor and talent, and, most importantly, a new perspective. Simply press the “follow” button.
