Though India saw a landmark Supreme Court decision decriminalising same-sex relations in 2018, the lived reality for most LGBTQIA+ people remains exclusionary and unwelcoming. According to the Deloitte 2023 LGBTQ+ Inclusion Survey: 70% of LGBTQIA+ individuals in India continue to face non-inclusive behavior, well above the global average of 42%.
In Northeast India and Assam, these leadership gaps are heightened by factors like limited visibility, geographical isolation, intersecting caste and ethnic marginalisation, and lack of institutional support. Queer youth in rural and small-town Assam often lack role models, platforms, and community-led spaces to step into leadership.
Queer Xangjug is a 10-month feminist leadership development program, tailored to nurture young queer individuals and allies (ages 18–35) across Assam in creating meaningful gender justice change
Queer Xangjug is a 10-month feminist leadership development program, tailored to nurture young queer individuals and allies (ages 18–35) across Assam in creating meaningful gender justice change.
30 participants completed the program
Delivered over 80 hours of residential training in three phases and 20+ hours online
Mentored individually by trained facilitators
Participant-led outcomes include Pride Walks, community meet-ups, and awareness sessions across Assam, promoting dialogues on gender, sexuality, and inclusion
25 young leaders are currently in training
Delivered over 80 hours of residential training in three phases and 20+ hours online
Continuing participant-driven local actions across Assam
We envision that our participants will be contributing to the movement through Feminist Leadership
