A public archive

For a page that launched on Instagram only a week ago, The Pink List India already has over 3,000 followers. The agenda is clear — it's the country's first list of politicians standing for the Lok Sabha elections who publicly support LGBTQ+ rights. An initiative helmed by Mumbai-based Anish Gawande, 20, Devina Buckshee, 25, and Smriti Deora, 24, it is a resource for anyone who wishes to navigate through queer politics and identity itself. "I came up with the idea because as a queer person, it was difficult for me to imagine a space in politics... My parents are very right wing, but I decided that I wouldn't turn back. I've been working in Kashmir for the past seven years. This is not an awards list; we have created an archive that reflects the complexities of queer politics in India," Gawande says.

While Buckshee, a journalist in Delhi, and Gawande, director of the Dara Shikoh fellowship, work on the research, Deora, a graphic designer, is behind the aesthetically-designed posts that concisely displays information. "Researching this list included scouring through news articles, Lok Sabha debates and each candidate's social media profiles. This list is composed of material available in the public domain once the candidate entered public life," Buckshee tells us.