MEGHA NANDI, LUCKNOW

CATEGORY : YOUNG SOCIETY LEADER

Born and brought up in Lucknow, she is working as an accountant assistant in a private firm. At the age of 18, she realized about her homosexuality. Two years after, started working with Awadh Queer Pride committee and hosted two successful Awadh Pride walks, flashmobs and several LGBTQIA events with the team and founder Darvesh Yadavendra.

She’s known for her pioneering work in highlighting Lesbian and Bisexual women’s issues as well as LGBTQ youth work. She has been actively involved in raising awareness towards homosexuality and the implications of AIDS since the day she came out in public. Not many LGBT people are vocal about their identity but she’s open about her homosexuality. She thinks as a society, we have to be encouraging towards people who want to come out in public. She’s also working with Khwaab Foundation. She conducted community outreach, mental health counseling for LGBTQIA people with various mental and emotional issues. She provided crisis intervention and suicide prevention support and brief supportive counseling to callers who are experiencing an emotional crisis. She guided individuals in the development of skills and strategies for dealing with their problems. Megha provided life skills training to prepare individuals for independent living. With all this measures she helped more than 100 people. Issues pertaining to LGBT rights, women rights and animal welfare have been very close to her heart. One of her biggest achievement was Eastern Bhoomika Awards 2018 (Women Of The Year). She has done interview sessions related to sexuality and gender on FM in 2017.

NOMINATED BY AWADH QUEER PRIDE COMMITTEE