Laxmi Narayan Tripathi
About
Quite popular in the LGBTQIA+ community as the Acharya Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada and her Bigg Boss stint, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi is a transgender rights activist, Bollywood actress, Bharatanatyam dancer, and choreographer.
Laxmi starred in multiple dance videos for Bollywood director and scriptwriter Ken Ghosh and went to become a choreographer herself.
She worked as a bar dancer and when an order was passed to shut down the city's dance bars, she organised protests against the decision and this gave her a taste of activism.
In 2007, Laxmi started her own organization Astitva Trust which promotes the welfare of sexual minorities, their support, and their development. She has also served on the boards of several NGOs which conduct LGBT activist work.
Laxmi and a legal organization petitioned the court to acknowledge transgender as a third gender on all documents, and finally, in 2014, the Indian Supreme Court recognized transgender rights, formally recognizing them as a third gender, providing relief to millions in India.
She has starred in several TV shows including Bigg Boss 5, Sach Ka Samna, 10 Ka Dum, and Raaz Pichle Janam Ka.
Laxmi starred in an award-winning documentary in 2005, Between the Lines: India's Third Gender, Project Bolo and in Queens! Destiny Of Dance.
She wrote an autobiography, Me Hijra, Me Laxmi which was published in 2012, and then co-authored her biography, Red Lipstick in 2016.
In 2018, she also started her own packaged drinking water called Kineer, which she also pitched on the Shark Tank India Season 1 in 2021.
Awards and Accomplishments
Awards and Accomplishments
- Laxmi became president of the Mumbai-based NGO ‘DAI Welfare Society’, the first registered and working organization for eunuchs in South Asia in 2002.
- She became the first transgender person to represent Asia Pacific in the UN President’s Office Civil Society Task Force on HIV/AIDS in 2008.
- Laxmi was awarded the ‘Indian of the Year’ award in 2017.
- She is also a member of the Bill Gates Foundation and a visiting faculty member at the School of Dance and Theatre in Amsterdam.
Why Laxmi Narayan Tripathi ?
The activist who fought against all odds for social change, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi’s journey has been tough yet inspiring. She has been playing a crucial role in uplifting the lives of the LGBTQIA+ and transgender communities in India for over a decade now. From enduring child abuse to campaigning for transgender rights to representing India internationally, she has become an impactful personality. Laxmi’s advocacy work throughout the years has not only benefited the community but has also served as a beacon for spreading the concept of living life with dignity.
