Laxmi Narayan Tripathi (also known as Laxmi Acharya or Radha) is an Indian transgender activist, dancer, author, and religious head born on 13 December 1978 in Thane, Maharashtra, into an orthodox Brahmin family. Assigned male at birth as the eldest child of her family, she identified as female from a young age and pursued a career in classical dance — studying under notable gurus — even as she navigated societal discrimination. She became one of India's most prominent and articulate advocates for transgender rights, contributing to the landmark Supreme Court judgment in NALSA vs. Union of India (2014) that officially recognised the 'third gender' in India. In 2008, she became the first transgender person from the Asia Pacific region to address the United Nations, speaking about the rights and challenges of sexual minorities. She founded and leads the Kinnar Akhara — the world's first all-transgender religious institution — which participated in the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj (2019), marking a historic milestone in transgender acceptance within Hindu religious spaces. She is the author of Me Hijra, Me Laxmi (2015, translated from Marathi), a widely read memoir of her life and activism. She has also appeared in Bollywood productions and documentaries. In 2020, she led the first transgender team to scale Friendship Peak in the Himalayas. In October 2011, she entered Bigg Boss 5 on Colors TV as one of the original contestants — one of the first transgender women to appear on a major Indian reality show. She was eliminated in Week 6 (Day 41), finishing twelfth.

Being the first transgender person to represent Asia Pacific at the United Nations (2008), where she addressed the plight of sexual minorities; her leadership of the Kinnar Akhara (the world's first transgender religious sect) at the Kumbh Mela (2019); her memoir Me Hijra, Me Laxmi (2015); leading the legal fight for the recognition of 'Hijra' as the third gender in India, contributing to the landmark Supreme Court judgment (NALSA vs. Union of India, 2014); finishing twelfth in Bigg Boss 5 (Colors TV, 2011–12).

Frequently Asked