Ashok Row Kavi Biography 
Ashok Row Kavi is an Indian journalist and one of India's most prominent LGBT rights activists. In 1995 on the Nikki Tonight show hosted by Nikki Bedi, his comments over Mahatma Gandhi became controversial and STAR TV show was widely criticized and considered irresponsible. It even resulted in the cancellation of show and public apology by both.
Ashok Row Kavi was born in Mumbai on June 1, 1947. He completed Bachelor of Science in chemistry from University of Bombay. Later he enrolled at an engineering college, but dropped out. He found it difficult to deal with his homosexuality and hence he enrolled as a Hindu monk in the Ramakrishna Mission and studied theology. Encouraged by a monk at the Ramakrishna Mission, he left the place to freely explore and express his homosexuality. Later he studied at International School of Journalism, Berlin and pursued a career in journalism. His career began with Indian Express in the year 1974. He worked in the field of journalism for more than 18 years. It included various newspapers and magazines. He has also worked for Malayalam newspaper, Malayala Manorama as Western India Bureau-Chief. He retired from journalism in the year 1990.
Later he has worked to give a formal platform for homosexuals to become actively involved in public life. He sought the help of media, institutions, community-building etc. He was one among the first to openly talk about homosexuality and gay rights in India. His first coming out interview appeared in Savvy magazine in 1986 and his mother too, openly told about the homosexuality about her child through the interview. At the present, he is founder-chairperson of the Humsafar Trust, a male sexual health NGO. Its next aim is the legal emancipation of homosexuality in India.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 14, 2014
