Menaka Guruswamy: The Queer MP Who Changed a Law Now Goes to Make One

On April 6, 2026, Menaka Guruswamy walked into the Rajya Sabha and made history. The senior advocate, nominated by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) from West Bengal, took oath as India's first openly queer Member of Parliament (MP). Over two decades of legal work, she argued cases that changed how India defines equality. 

Who Is Menaka Guruswamy?

Born in Hyderabad in 1974, Guruswamy studied at the National Law School of India University before earning a BCL and DPhil from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She completed her LLM from Harvard Law School and began her legal career in 1997 under former Attorney General Ashok Desai, according to O Heraldo.

What Case Made Her a Household Name?

In 2018, Guruswamy served as lead counsel in the Supreme Court case that read down Section 377, the colonial-era law that had criminalized homosexuality in India. Her arguments before a five-judge constitutional bench contributed to a unanimous verdict in favour of decriminalization. The ruling reshaped India's legal and social framework in ways that continue to unfold.

How Did the World Recognise Her Work?

In 2019, Foreign Policy magazine reportedly named Guruswamy among its 100 most influential Global Thinkers. That same year, Time magazine included her and co-counsel Arundhati Katju in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Where Has She Taught and Advised?

Guruswamy has served as visiting faculty at Yale Law School, New York University (NYU) School of Law, and Columbia Law School, according to Zee News. She has also advised the United Nations on human rights and researched constitutional design in post-conflict democracies.

Who Nominated Her and Why?

TMC nominated Guruswamy for the March 2026 Rajya Sabha elections from West Bengal, in keeping with its practice of sending academics and public intellectuals to the Upper House. She was elected unopposed, as reported by The Week.

How Did the Oath Ceremony Unfold?

Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath at Parliament House on April 6. Guruswamy was among 19 members sworn in that day, though her swearing-in drew attention well beyond the chamber.

What Does Her Rajya Sabha Seat Mean for India?

Guruswamy is the first openly queer MP to sit in either house of the Indian Parliament. Her presence is expected to sharpen legislative focus on constitutional rights and minority protections. A lawyer who spent decades arguing for equality now has a direct hand in shaping the laws that define it.

(With inputs from yMedia)