Queeristan
By Parmesh Shahani
About:
The reading down of Section 377 by the Supreme Court in 2018 has led to a fundamental shift in the rights of India’s LGBTQ citizens and necessitated policy changes across the board—not least in the conservative world of Indian business. In this book, which won the CK Prahalad Best Business Book of the Year award for 2021, I draw from my decade-long journey in the corporate world as an out and proud gay man, to make a cogent case for LGBTQ inclusion and lay down a step-by-step guide to reshaping office culture in India. I talk to inclusion champions and business leaders about how they worked towards change; trace the benefits reaped by industry giants like Godrej, Tata Steel, IBM, Wipro, the Lalit group of hotels and many others who have tapped into the power of diversity; and share the stories of employees whose lives were revolutionised by LGBTQ-friendly workspaces.
Queeristan is both a memoir and a manifesto and I animate the data and strategy in the book with intimate stories of love and family. Even as it becomes a sprawling reference book of history, literature, cinema, movements, institutions and icons of the LGBTQ community, Queeristan drives home a singular point—in diversity and inclusion lies the promise of an equitable and profitable future, for companies, their employees and the society at large.
