Experiences of the Undaunted

 Abhina Aher: Activist

From facing hate crime as an adolescent to being involved in sex work for survival, it has been a rough ride for Abhina Aher, born male but later transitioned into a female Read more 

 Aneera Kabeer: Teacher

Even armed with 3 Masters’ degrees, Aneera continued to face discrimination. She was let go from every job she held which prompted her to resort to drastic measures to call attention to her plight. Read more

 Aryan Pasha: Bodybuilder

With the support of his family, Aryan Pasha recently broke the norm in the field of bodybuilding after becoming the first transman in India to participate in a competition called Muscle Mania from the Men's category. Watch his story

 Bobby Darling: Actress

Perhaps the best-known trans personality in India, Bobby was a pioneer, the first openly queer person in mainstream Hindi cinema. Now, while the industry has moved on somewhat, she remains typecast.  Read more

 Gazal Dhaliwal: Screenwriter

Gazal, a transwoman has written dialogues for path breaking movies like Ek Ladki ko Dekha toh Aisa Laga, Qarib Qarib Siingle and Lipstick under my Burkha. She also spoke about her transitioning journey in Aamir Khan’s show Satyameva Jayate. Read about her here.

 Grace Banu: Engineer & Activist

From selling halwa in Tirunelveli to untangling legal knots, 32-year-old trans activist and software engineer, Grace Banu has come a long way and she’s still tirelessly working towards shaping an inclusive society. Read more

 Dr. A. Mani: STEM academic

From creating her own world with science and mathematics to choosing not to be part of mainstream academia, Dr. Mani has asserted her place in a world that still upholds the exclusion of non-conformists, battling daily microaggressions on account of her trans identity. Read more

 Dr. V.S. Priya: Doctor

Challenged by societal norms and stereotyped gender roles in families, Dr Priya lived as a man for almost 30 years before embracing her feminine identity. Now, as Kerala’s first transgender doctor, she's a beacon of hope not only for all transgendered people who want to be known for what they do but for everyone who continues to battle the odds and face impossible challenges. Watch her story

 Manabi Bandopadhyay: Principal

For Professor Manabi Bandopadhyay, the progressive attitudes she’s experiencing today are a far cry from what she has had to withstand in the face of undergoing a sex change operation. Read more

 Manisha: Performer

Manisha earns very little from a traditional occupation for trans people, singing and dancing at weddings or celebrations for the birth of a boy. But this has not stopped her from taking in seven girls and one boy. Read more

 Mairembam Ronaldo Singh: Actress

We all know and love her as Cheeni from Paatal Lok but for Mairembam it has been a huge struggle going from a theatre artist in Manipur to a mainstream actor in Mumbai. Read more

 Navya Singh: Model

Navya Singh, an actor and model, continues to advocate for trans actor representation in mainstream Bollywood and the OTT platform, urging the fraternity to give trans roles to real-life trans actors. Read more

 Padmini Prakash: News Anchor

Padmini was disowned by her family at 13, and dropped out of college due to harassment but she persevered on this road and is now India’s first transgender news anchor. Read more

 Saisha Shinde: Fashion Designer

At the beginning of 2021, celeb fashion designer Saisha (earlier famous as Swapnil Shinde) came out publically as a transwoman which was one of the greatest moments in not only her life but also the lives of many LGBTQIA+ people in India. Watch her story

 Vee: Professional model and YouTuber

19-year-old Vee is India’s first transmale model. Watch Vee’s journey of transition, of finding himself, accepting his gender identity, overcoming gender stereotypes and loving himself. Watch his story

 Ziya & Zahad: Trans couple

Read about Ziya and Zahad, the trans-couple whose pregnancy photos went viral on social media and are now proud parents, even as they march ahead on their transitioning journey. Read more