// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Anish Gawande an artist? Drawn to him.
Anish Gawande | |
|---|---|
| National Spokesperson, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) | |
| Assumed office August 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar |
| Relations | Trimbak Krishna Tope (grandfather) |
| Occupation | Politician, activist, writer |
Known for | First openly gay national spokesperson of a major Indian political party |
Anish Gawande is an Indian politician, LGBTQ+ rights advocate, and a national spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction).[1] He is recognised as the first openly gay individual to be appointed as a national spokesperson of a major political party in India.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Gawande was raised in Mumbai and attended Greenlawns School, Worli, and Cathedral and John Connon School, Fort. He studied Comparative Literature at Columbia University and later pursued postgraduate studies in intellectual history and public policy at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.[2]
Activism and early career
[edit]Prior to joining party politics, Gawande worked as a writer and LGBTQ+ rights advocate. He founded Pink List India, a public archive documenting Indian politicians who have expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights, aimed at increasing visibility and political accountability on queer issues.[3]
Political career
[edit]In August 2024, Gawande was appointed as a national spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction).[4] His appointment was widely described as historic due to him being openly gay, marking a milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in Indian politics.[2]
Political views
[edit]In 2025, Gawande commented on a controversy involving online content creators and the proposed Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, cautioning that disproportionate outrage over remarks by a YouTuber could be used to justify excessive regulation of digital media and independent creators.[4]
Gawande criticised the Supreme Court's order concerning stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, writing on X that the directive was “nothing but a death sentence for every single stray on every single street” and urging the public to raise their voices in opposition to the ruling, which he viewed as harmful to animal welfare.[5][6]
In Maharashtra politics, Gawande condemned controversial remarks made by a BJP legislator against senior opposition leaders, calling them a “new low” in public discourse.[7]
Personal life
[edit]Gawande is openly gay and has spoken publicly about the challenges of being openly queer in Indian political spaces.[2][8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Welfare policies must be inclusive of queer people: NCP-SP spokesperson Anish Gawande". The Indian Express. 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "Meet India's first openly gay national spokesperson of a political party". The Times of India. 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "Orange is for energy & enthusiasm: Anish Gawande". Femina. 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- 1 2 "Welfare policies must be inclusive of queer people: NCP-SP spokesperson Anish Gawande". The Indian Express. 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "'Cruel, shortsighted, strips us of compassion': Rahul Gandhi slams Supreme Court's order on stray dogs in Delhi-NCR". The Indian Express. 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ Narayan, Priyanjali (22 August 2025). "Street dogs case: Who's emerged victorious after Supreme Court's verdict?". India Today. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ "NCP factions unite against BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar for comments on Jayant Patil". Free Press Journal. 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ↑ Team, N. L. (25 June 2026). "'How gay are you, how politician are you?': Anish Gawande on the choices facing queer leaders". Newslaundry. Retrieved 5 July 2026.