Sonal Giani
{{short description|Indian LGBTIQ+ activist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sonal Giani
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| nationality = Indian
| occupation = LGBTQ rights activist
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| website = {{URL|sonalgiani.com}}
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Sonal Giani is an Indian LGBTQ activist and actress. Known for her advocacy and youth work, she focuses on the social impact of India's anti-LGBTQ law, Section 377. She is the co-founder of LGBTQ youth initiatives Yaariyan and Umangin.
Early life
Giani grew up in Goa, India and has a twin sister.{{Cite magazine |title=Connected Hum Tum: Meet the superwomen |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/connected-hum-tum-meet-the-superwomen/articleshow/20521171.cms |last=Maheshwri |first=Neha |website=indiatimes.com |date=June 11, 2013 |access-date=June 2, 2025 |language=en}} She came out to first her mother, followed by her father after the Delhi High Court judgement which struck down Section 377.{{Cite magazine |title=I was outed without my consent: Sonal Giani |url=https://www.femina.in/celebs/indian/i-was-outed-without-my-consent-sonal-giani-109212.html |last=De |first=Hemchhaya |magazine=Femina |date=November 6, 2018 |access-date=June 2, 2025 |language=en}} At age 19, she was outed without her consent, leading to feelings of depression.{{Cite web |title=17 Indian LGBTQI+ Trailblazers Whose Courage Helped Others Love & Live Freely |url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/women/lgbt-trailblazers-from-india/ |last=Magan |first=Srishti |website=ScoopWhoop |date=June 11, 2019 |access-date=June 7, 2025 |language=en}} She describes facing backlash, including sexual harassment and finding graffiti in washrooms.{{Cite magazine |title=LGBTQ+ employees are finding acceptance in Indian companies, but inclusivity challenges exist still |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/deep-dive/story/lgbtq-employees-are-finding-acceptance-in-indian-companies-but-inclusivity-challenges-exist-still-377657-2023-04-17 |last1=S |first1=Vidya |last2=Mitter |first2=Sohini |magazine=Business Today |date=April 30, 2023 |access-date=June 7, 2025 |language=en}}
Personal life
In 2013, Giani appeared in the reality television show Connected Hum Tum.{{Cite web |title=6 most prominent Indian LGBT activists |url=https://thecsrjournal.in/indian-lgbt-activists-history-month/ |last=Fernandes |first=Kasmin |website=TheCSRJournal.in |date=October 19, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2025 |language=en}} The program followed Giani for over a year, documenting her life and her relationship with her female partner at the time.{{Cite news |title=Out and Proud: Sonal Giani on how she came to terms with her sexuality, and found happiness |url=https://www.firstpost.com/living/out-and-proud-sonal-giani-on-how-she-came-to-terms-with-her-sexuality-and-found-happiness-4333479.html |last=Iyer |first=Harish |publisher=Firstpost |date=February 5, 2018 |access-date=June 7, 2025 |language=en}} Giani also discussed her bisexuality on the show.
Career and activism
Giani worked as an advocacy manager at the Humsafar Trust, a nonprofit that works to improve LGBTQ rights. She cites this job as helping herself heal and "dream of a bias-free, equal world". In her role, Giani provided assistance to people facing blackmail or extortion under Indian law based on their sexuality.{{Cite magazine |title=How Section 377 Is Being Exploited By The Police and Blackmailers To Extort Men |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/vantage/how-section-377-became-payday-extortionists-and-police-alike |last=Dore |first=Bhavya |magazine=The Caravan |date=November 3, 2015 |access-date=June 8, 2025 |language=en}}
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|text=The root of this widespread discrimination and marginalization against LBT individuals is not because of hatred amongst the society but because of their utter ignorance towards it.
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Giani is a co-founder of Yaariyan and Umang, two LGBTQ youth groups in Mumbai.{{Cite web |title=8 Inspiring Indian LGBTQ Individuals Who Raged Fearless Wars & Emerged Victorious! |url=https://thebetterindia.com/106115/list-lqbtq-famous-personalities-pride-month/ |last=S |first=Lekshmi Priya |website=The Better India |date=June 23, 2017 |access-date=June 8, 2025 |language=en}} In 2023, she became the delegate for Asia and the Pacific on the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board.{{Cite web |title=Meet Sonal Giani, our new NGO Delegate for Asia & the Pacific |url=https://unaidspcbngo.org/news/sonal-giani-appointed-as-new-ngo-delegate/ |website=unaidspcbngo.org |access-date=June 8, 2025 |language=en |archive-date=June 9, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250609020049/https://unaidspcbngo.org/news/sonal-giani-appointed-as-new-ngo-delegate/ |url-status=live }} She also works at International Planned Parenthood Federation as a senior advisor.
Giani considers same-sex marriage a "distant dream" in India, and the lack of this right as a cause of discrimination against LGBTQ people.{{Cite news |title=Rainbow Wedding |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/xXMuJadSoAYIKtUqyIjS8O/Rainbow-wedding.html |last=Ratnam |first=Dhamini |newspaper=Mint |date=July 11, 2015 |access-date=June 7, 2025 |language=en}} She cites the need to educate others to address these root causes, both in terms of sex education and better understanding of LGBTQ individuals.
See also
References
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Category:21st-century Indian LGBTQ people
Category:Bisexual rights activists
Category:Indian LGBTQ rights activists
Category:Indian women activists