Anjali Gopalan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anjali Gopalan
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Gopalan, circa 2009
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| Born | 1 September 1957 Madras, Madras State, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | LGBT rights activist, Executive Director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust |
| Awards | #Awards and recognition § Notes |
Anjali Gopalan is an Indian activist who works for human rights and animal rights. She is the person who started and leads The Naz Foundation Trust.
In 2012, Time magazine named Gopalan one of the 100 most important people in the world.
Contents
Early Life
Anjali Gopalan was born on September 1, 1957, in Chennai, India. Her father, Dr. K.R. Gopalan, was an officer in the Indian Air Force. Her mother was a homemaker. Anjali went to school at La Martiniere Lucknow.
She studied in both India and the United States. She earned a degree in political science from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. She also got a diploma in journalism and a master's degree in international development from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Social Work
Starting Her Work
Anjali Gopalan first worked with groups in New York City. She helped people from Southeast Asia who had moved there without proper papers. Later, she started the Naz Foundation.
Work in the 1990s
In 1994, Anjali Gopalan came back to India. She opened Delhi's first clinic for people with HIV. In the same year, she started the Naz Foundation (India) Trust. This group helps people who are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). It also helps children who have HIV. The foundation also works to make sure everyone, no matter their sexual orientation, has equal rights.
Work in the 2000s
In 2000, Gopalan opened India’s first special home. It was for children and women with HIV who needed care. She also taught doctors and caregivers how to look after children with HIV.
In 2001, Anjali Gopalan’s group, the Naz Foundation, went to court. They challenged an old law called Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. This law made it illegal for certain adults to be in relationships. The Naz Foundation wanted to stop unfair treatment against people based on who they loved. In 2009, the Delhi High Court agreed with the Naz Foundation. They said Section 377 went against people's basic rights.
In 2001, Gopalan won the Commonwealth Award for her work. In 2003, she received the Sadguru Gnanananda Award. This was for her help to people living with HIV/AIDS.
In March 2007, Gopalan was honored as a Woman Achiever by the Indian government. On July 29, 2012, she helped start the Alan Turing Rainbow festival. This festival included Asia's first genderqueer pride parade. This was the first gay pride parade Gopalan attended. Since September 2, 2012, she has been an advisor for Srishti Madurai.
In 2012, Gopalan started an animal sanctuary. It is called "All Creatures Great and Small" and is in Haryana, India.
On October 25, 2013, Gopalan received the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. This is the highest award from France. It was given to her by the French Minister of Women's Rights. Anjali Gopalan is the first Indian Tamil woman to get this special award.
Awards and Recognition
- People of the Year Award (2014)
Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (2013)- Time 100 Most Influential People in the World (2012)
- Woman Achiever Award by the Government of India (2007)
- Commonwealth Award (2001)
Anjali Gopalan Srishti Awards for Social Justice Journalism
The group Srishti Madurai gives out the Anjali Gopalan Srishti Awards for Social Justice Journalism. These awards go to journalists who write about social justice. The first awards went to V. Mayilvaganan and V. Narayanswamy from The Times of India. They were recognized for writing about genderqueer people and Santhi Soundarajan.
