Ananya  (She/Her)

Ananya is a Student of Hindi Literature, she is a creative and socially conscious individual. With a passion for words, she enjoys reading, writing, and reciting poetry and stories. Her artistic side extends to painting, acting, videography, and photography. Since 2019, Ananya has been actively involved in social work, driven by a desire to make a positive impact. Her diverse interests and talents make her unique and a valuable individual.

Ruman (He/Him

Ruman is working as a Program Associate with  Prismatic Foundation, while also pursuing his graduation in Political Science. Driven by a strong commitment to social change, he actively works to challenge and transform social norms and misconceptions about the queer community. His goal is to foster greater understanding, acceptance, and inclusion.

Aarya (They/Them)

Aarya is a  Non-Binary person, with an undergraduate in Statistics from BHU. They are passionate about community welfare, sustainability, and inclusivity. They have actively contributed to Varanasi Queer Pride and Youth Ke Bol, anchored by The YP Foundation. Aarya believes in a constructive approach towards social change.

Neeti

For the past 15 years, Neeti has worked tirelessly to champion the rights of those who live with various marginalization. For the last 3 years, they have been working towards building Prismatic Foundation to be a community-led organization dedicated to serving the needs of the banarasi queer community. A vetran of youth and feminist organizations like CREA, The YP Foundation, NAPAM and an active social worker in Varanasi, They lead the efforts at Prismatic Foundation.

Aarohi

A Banaras native and transgender woman connected to the Hijra community, she has spent the last four years working on HIV/AIDS awareness among transgender people, female sex workers, and other groups. She also advocates for rights-based issues like gender diversity, discrimination, and sexuality, partnering with organizations like The YP Foundation and Varanasi Queer Pride to improve the lives and rights of queer individuals in Banaras

Shanu

Shanu, is an operations and logistics wizard, with over 7 years of experience in the travel industry. They are dedicated to creating equality for queer people, and access to social justice in a community that is often marred by society’s stigmas and norms. They have a history of volunteering with many local organizations to enable and support their community based events. Along with their partner, they run Banaras First Queer Friendly Cafe. They aspire to ignite an entrepreneurial fire within the community.

Kabir

Kabir Maan is a Delhi-based Dalit trans man and trained primary school teacher (SCERT, New Delhi). Despite facing discrimination due to his gender identity, which led to dropping out of Jamia Millia Islamia, Kabir’s adventurous spirit has propelled him to work as an Educational Facilitator, leading his “Aao Baat Karein” campaign, providing crucial education on sexual abuse, sex education, menstrual hygiene, and gender sensitization to over 15,000 children and 5,000+ teachers and parents across India. He was recognized as one of 75 inspiring Indians by Outlook Magazine in their 75 Years of Indian Independence issue (August 2022).

Tan

I’m a Queer-Trans development professional with experience in gender justice and access to SRHR services using an intersectional feminist and restorative/transformative justice lens. As a strong advocate for young people’s bodily autonomy, queer rights, disability and gender justice, I have mentored grassroots organizations to develop their capacity in facilitation and peer education models to ensure equitable access to SRHR information and access to SRHR services. I’m passionate about advocating for structural change through evidence based policy changes