RAHUL UPADHYAY IS A QUEER RIGHTS ACTIVIST, CO-PRESIDENT OF INTERPRIDE AND THE FOUNDER OF GANDHINAGAR QUEER PRIDE
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?
I’m Rahul Upadhyay — a queer rights activist, community organiser, and one of the youngest leaders in the global Pride movement. I’ve been working on LGBTQIA+ issues since the age of 22, and over the years, my activism has taken many forms: rescuing queer individuals from unsafe households, organising city and national Pride events, conducting hundreds of gender-sensitisation workshops with schools, colleges, local authorities, and creating safe spaces for families of queer people — something still rare in India.
Professionally, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of India’s premier educational institutions, including Ashoka University and Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, where I’ve led alumni engagement and community-building efforts. I’ve consistently integrated inclusion, storytelling, and empowerment into every role I’ve taken on.
On the international front, I currently serve as the Co-President of InterPride — the global network that supports Pride organisers worldwide — making me the youngest and the first Indian and South Asian to hold this role. I also lead the Gandhinagar Queer Pride Foundation, which I founded to push back against silence and stigma in Gujarat state.
Through all these roles, my focus has been clear: building inclusive ecosystems, whether within institutions, on the streets, or across borders — to make this world a little more just, a little more livable, and a lot more loving for LGBTQIA+ people.
“WE MUST DEMAND POLICIES THAT PROTECT, EMPOWER, AND AFFIRM QUEER LIVES”
IN 2019, YOU FOUNDED GANDHINAGAR QUEER PRIDE. WHY DID YOU FEEL A NEED TO FOUND QUEER PRIDE?
Gandhinagar Queer Pride was born out of both frustration and hope. In 2018-2019, I was a young queer person navigating life in Gujarat — a state known for its deep-rooted conservatism and as the home of India’s current political leadership, which has often been openly hostile to LGBTQIA+ rights. There was no Pride parade, no visible queer community, and absolutely no safe public space where someone like me could exist authentically. The silence was suffocating.
I started Gandhinagar Queer Pride because I couldn’t bear to see another queer person feel as invisible and unsupported as I once did.
Over time, it grew into much more than a march and a collective. The Foundation has become a year-round engine for change.
YOU ARE ALSO CO-PRESIDENT OF INTERPRIDE. WHAT DOES THAT ROLE INVOLVE?
Being elected as the Co-President of InterPride is one of the greatest honours of my life. To be chosen by the membership, with overwhelming support, as the youngest and the first South Asian to hold this role, is not just a personal milestone — it’s a powerful signal that the global Pride movement is ready to embrace new and young leadership, new geographies, and new ways of thinking.
It’s a big responsibility, and I carry it with deep humility. I know I’m still learning. But I also know that I bring something essential to the table: the lived experience of being a young, queer, brown organiser from a part of the world that is often overlooked in global LGBTQIA+ narratives.
IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN POSITIVE LGBTQIA+ REPRESENTATION IN THE PAST DECADES. WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE, BOTH GLOBALLY AND PARTICULARLY IN SOUTH ASIA?
Yes, we’ve come a long way — but we’re far from done. In fact, lately it feels like we’re going backwards.
Recent developments globally have shown us how fragile this progress is. In the United States — once seen as a leader in queer rights — trans communities are under brutal legislative attack. In Türkiye, Hungary, and several other nations, queer identities are being erased, criminalised, and vilified. These aren’t isolated incidents — they’re part of a wider global rollback that threatens to push us back 50 years.
The movement, simply put, needs more momentum. More people standing up, more governments listening, and more communities demanding justice and equality.
India decriminalised homosexuality in 2018, a historic and long-overdue victory. Nepal and Thailand have recently taken bold steps by legalising same-sex marriage, offering inspiration to the region. Yet these wins cannot be mistaken for widespread liberation.
In India, despite the decriminalisation, the judiciary last year denied same-sex marriage. Queer people still face discrimination, violence, and invisibility in homes, workplaces, and policies. Trans persons continue to be marginalised, denied healthcare, employment, and dignity. In rural areas, even conversations about queerness are a privilege not yet possible.
We must go beyond token visibility and demand policies that protect, empower, and affirm queer lives.
“I STARTED GANDHINAGAR QUEER PRIDE BECAUSE I COULDN’T BEAR TO SEE ANOTHER QUEER PERSON FEEL AS INVISIBLE AND UNSUPPORTED AS I ONCE DID”
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
My greatest achievement isn’t a single event or accolade — it’s the lives I’ve touched and the spaces I’ve helped create for queer people to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
On a personal level, being entrusted with the leadership of InterPride was a humbling moment.
But ultimately, what I consider my greatest achievement is the sense of belonging I’ve been able to create — both for myself and for others. Whether through support networks, Pride events, or one-on-one conversations, I am working to ensure that no queer person feels like they have to hide who they are, or that they are alone in their journey.
PRIDE – PARTY OR POLITICS?
Protest!