Who is Menaka Guruswamy, India’s first openly queer Rajya Sabha MP?

Menaka Guruswamy, senior Supreme Court advocate, has become India's first openly queer Member of Parliament (MP). Guruswamy took oath as a Rajya Sabha MP on Monday (April 6), making a significant moment for LGBTQ+ visibility in India's political life.

The term “queer" is an inclusive word that can refer to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and other non-heterosexual or non-cisgender identities. Guruswamy proudly identifies as queer.

The 51-year-old was nominated by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), a step widely hailed as progressive. A senior TMC functionary told Deutsche Welle (DW), "With her election, five of the TMC's 13 Rajya Sabha MPs are women.

" Guruswamy has said she will stand for equality, fraternity and non-discrimination. " We take a look. Who is Menaka Guruswamy? Born in Hyderabad in 1974, Guruswamy has established a distinguished legal career and has impeccable academic records.

In 1997, she earned her Bachelor of Laws degree from the National Law School of India. Before heading to Oxford University in 1998 to pursue further law studies, Guruswamy briefly worked with Ashok Desai, then the Attorney General of India.

In 2000, she got a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from Oxford. In 2001, she secured a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School. For a thesis on “Constitutionalism in India, Pakistan and Nepal," Guruswamy was awarded a DPhil from Oxford in 2015.

Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy took oath today as a Member of Parliament, becoming India’s first openly queer MP.

She is known for her role as one of the lawyers who argued in the #SupremeCourt during the case that led to the reading down of Section 377 in 2018. Guruswamy has… pic. twitter.