Akkai Padmashali is an Indian transgender social and political activist. She is the Founder of Ondede, an organization that works with LGBTQI+ minorities on the idea of convergence (also known as intersectionality). Akkai has written a memoir entitled, A Small Step in a Long Journey.

"From criminalisation to decriminalisation to re-criminalisation. How do you accept why your society is so rigid in deciding your identity? Lakhs of people have been killed, have been assassinated. Even in the United States of America or different parts of the world, people who are black, lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex people are being killed."

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