Sure, its unpronounceable to most of us but on 25th October, 2013 – France’s highest civilian award, the “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur” was given to Anjali Gopalan !
Anjali Gopalan is the executive director of the Naz Foundation and a well known human rights activist at the forefront of the fight for equality for LGBT folks and in advancing the cause of HIV in India.
Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1957, Anjali Gopalan began her work with marginalized communities in the United States. Upon her return to India, her work with the Naz Foundation implemented a multitude of resources and change for the LGBTQ community in India.
In 2012, Anjali Gopalan appeared in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list. With the receipt of this award, Ms Gopalan joins the remarkable company of individuals from India who are foreign recipients of this award – and includes Lata Mangeshkar, Satyajit Ray, J.R.D Tata, Sivaji Ganesan and Narayana Murthy.
Congratulations, Chevalier Anjali Gopalan !
PS: You can watch Ms. Gopalan’s talk at a Ted Conference on her path to advocacy here.
