Parmesh Shahani is an Indian author and the head of Godrej India Cultural Lab.[1][2]

Parmesh Shahani
BornMumbai, India
EducationBombay University (1996)
Alma mater
Notable worksQueeristan

Early life and education

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Shahani was born and raised on Mumbai, India.

He earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Bombay University in 1996, then received two post-baccalaureate diplomas, one in film and television from the Xavier Institute of Communication and one in education in 2003.[3] In 2005, he received a master's degree in media studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[3]

While studying at MIT in Boston, Shahani was able to be "openly gay for the first time in his life," which inspired his master's thesis and other works.[3][4]

Career

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After receiving a bachelor's degree in 1996, Shahani held various jobs, including as a news reporter for the Bombay Times and founding "FreshLimeSoda.com, India’s first online youth magazine."[3]

Following the completion of his master's thesis, which explored homosexuality in Mumbai, Shahani returned to India, where homosexuality was decriminalized in 2009, and "advocated for corporate diversity policies that specifically prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation".[3]

Award and honors

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Publications

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  • Gay Bombay: Globalization, Love and (Be)longing in Contemporary India. SAGE Publishing. 2008. ISBN 9780761936480.
  • Queeristan: LGBTQ Inclusion in the Indian Workplace. Westland Books. 2020. ISBN 9789389648140.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Parmesh Shahani: 'We are still not equal today'". Frontline. 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  2. ^ Modi, Chintan Girish (2021-03-26). "Queer at the workplace: Parmesh Shahani nudges companies to be inclusive". Business Standard. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e Whitacre, Andrew (2014-01-09). "Parmesh Shahani, SM '05: "Drawing Inspiration from Mumbai"". Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Comparative Media Studies. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  4. ^ Shahani, Parmesh (2011-06-27). "Why Gay Employees Need To Come Out". Forbes India. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  5. ^ a b Jain, Aashika (2018-11-13). "How Parmesh Shahani is Batting For Equality at The Workplace". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  6. ^ Sengupta, Ishita (2020-09-11). "Struggle for LGBTQ rights is deeply connected to other social justice movements: Parmesh Shahani on his new book, Queeristan". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2023-08-10.