New Delhi: History was scripted in Parliament on Monday as Maneka Guruswamy, celebrated lawyer and queer rights champion, took oath as India's first openly queer Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.
Maneka, along with her partner Arundhati Katju, rose to prominence after spearheading the landmark legal battle that led to the partial striking down of Section 377 of the IPC in 2018, decriminalising consensual same-sex relationships.
The duo publicly came out as a couple in 2019 on Fareed Zakaria's show, cementing their place as icons of India's LGBTQ+ movement.
Her courtroom victories have made her a household name, from fighting for gender-equal marriage rights now pending before the Supreme Court, to representing the TMC in the RG Kar rape case and the ED probe against I-PAC, often drawing sharp criticism from the BJP.
Maneka's entry into the Rajya Sabha is being hailed as a watershed moment for representation and inclusivity in Indian politics. For many, it signals that the fight she began in the courtroom has now decisively entered the halls of power.