an Activist

by Swara Shukla · Published December 5, 2018 · Updated March 28, 2019

Anwesh Sahoo is a 23-year-old voracious writer, optimist and a lover of old-school Indian art, music and fashion. A product of Mr. Gay World India, and a winner of the Troy Perry Medal of Pride for compassionate activism, he is an Illustrator, and Graphic Designer based in New Delhi, and blogs at The Effeminare, a parallel universe where he gets to illustrate a Utopian world where he believes he belongs, occasionally trying to get his favourite kitty ‘Bijli’ to play with him, but to no avail. He looks at life as a thrilling mystery novel written by God and, since the novel has only started, he’d go with: ‘I am still evolving!’

Haha, well then, I’m just like you, Blue Cat! Loove watching myself in a video, with as much enthusiasm as I used to as a 10-year-old. Funny thing, I’m answering this as I watch myself in a video that BuzzFeed India just released, featuring one of my TEDx talks. Watch it here

Take a deep breath, and face your alligators head on! What’s the worst that can happen? You’ll explode out of embarrassment and shame, and a lifetime of guilt? Bring it on!

Of course, in fact we’ve adopted a beautiful little white cat with black and orange spots all over, here in Delhi. We call her ‘Bijli’. Hard luck, she doesn’t like to play with humans.

I am, a hundred and one percent! Can you co-author? Do you even have to ask?

“How difficult is it being gay in India?”

As difficult, and as beautiful as it is to be human in India.

Hahahaha, I’m not sure if we’re as excited, but we sure do like dressing up (we don’t need Halloweens to dress up scary!) and are super excited about the sweets that come the same time around during Diwali! You can have all of my besan ke laddo, and kaju katlis! Only thing is – I don’t know if your Scottish belly can take care of our Delhi bellies! Also, maybe you should consider getting me all the way to Scotland to celebrate Halloween together? I’ll pull out a Mike Delamont’s God is a Scottish Drag Queen; only sexier, in a pair of 6-inch red Louboutins.

Absolutely! I bestow upon you the honor of being my very first Scottish friend. I adore Scotland, has always been a dream to visit Edinburgh! Interestingly – and this is a secret I’m sharing with you (now that you’re my friend) – I had made it through the University of Edinburgh way back in 2013 for an Honors in Economics. But I was meant for Design, so I had to stay back!