WHERE RAINBOWS REIGN

Keshav Suri is on a mission to build safe spaces within the hospitality industry and shatter discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The hotelier and philanthropist talks about his cause, its challenges, and the road ahead.

“In an industry like hospitality, our role is to provide comfort, love, and care,” says Keshav Suri, the youngest executive director at The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. He took some concrete steps in this direction in 2018 by launching the Keshav Suri Foundation (keshavsuri. foundation)—right after the Supreme Court quashed the controversial Section 377.

Since then, the foundation has been working to embrace, empower, and mainstream the LGBTQIA+ community. “We are the official affiliates of the It Gets Better Project (an NGO that relies on inspiring media programming, educational resources, and international affiliates to empower the global

LGBTQIA+ youth) in India and have also brought IWEI (Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index) to the country in collaboration with FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and Pride Circle,” reveals the hotelier.

Each milestone, however, has come with ample challenges. The biggest hurdles are the lack of understanding and the abundance of misconceptions about the queer community in the country. “One of the ways to change the perspective of society is to create positive role models within my community,” says Suri. The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group is leading by example, by forming inclusive teams across functions. “It is crucial for LGBTQIA+ folks, who aren’t accepted by their own families, to know that they can have it all,” he asserts.

The Keshav Suri Foundation, along with the

Aditya Nanda scholarship for transgender students, also encourages other companies to hire candidates based on talent and not on their gender identity or sexual orientation. “The community members have been stripped off their talents for decades and shunned in a closet with minimal opportunities for growth,” laments Suri.

Acknowledging the progress in the industry, Suri admits that certain problem areas persist. “I would like to see more job opportunities and inclusivity in professions that are not front-desk and tick a box… and it’ll be genuine when people from our community are allowed to work in the fields they want to, without it being for publicity.” Until then, pride marches on.

“The very basic thing [for travellers] to do is to love and embrace others. Be respectful when you encounter an LGBTQIA+ member, ask their pronouns, and don’t treat them like an outcast. Refrain from assuming someone’s gender, and do not let your judgment cloud your behaviour or opinion.”