Menaka Guruswamy Becomes India's First Openly Queer MP
Why in News?
Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy took oath as a Rajya Sabha member on April 6, 2026, becoming India's first openly queer MP.
Who is Menaka Guruswamy?
- She is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court and was the lead lawyer in the Navtej Singh Johar case (2018) that read down Section 377 IPC, decriminalizing homosexuality.
- She was nominated by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) from West Bengal.
- She was named in TIME's 100 Most Influential People in 2019.
Exam Connect
Rajya Sabha → Established under Article 80, members serve 6 years, and the Vice President is the Chairman.
Section 377 → Colonial-era law (1861), struck down for consensual adult acts in 2018.