Grammy Award-winning singer and queer activist Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’ is more than just a shimmering, euphoric pop anthem — it is a love letter to self-discovery, freedom, and the intoxicating possibilities of a life unshackled by small-town repression. Inspired by Roan’s journey from Missouri to Los Angeles, the song has become a queer anthem, capturing the experience of those who leave behind rigid, unaccepting environments in search of spaces where they can exist fully and unapologetically. However, ‘Pink Pony Club’ does not touch upon the fact that not every queer person in a small town makes it to the big city. Many remain trapped in environments where queerness is met with hostility — ostracised by their families, denied housing, forced into conversion practices, or subjected to outright violence, demonstrating the importance of The Pride Fund, India’s first LGBTQ+ philanthropy fund.

According to a report by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), LGBTQIA+ individuals in India continue to face widespread discrimination, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where legal protections often fail to translate into lived realities. Housing discrimination, job insecurity, and police harassment create systemic barriers that prevent many from leaving hostile environments. The Queer Asian Project highlights that queer individuals who do manage to leave often grapple with financial instability and mental health struggles, as access to community support remains inconsistent, underscoring the need for The Pride Fund, India’s first LGBTQ+ philanthropy fund.

This is where grassroots NGOs, working at the intersection of gender, sexuality, and socio-economic vulnerability, play a crucial role. Recognising this pressing need, a pioneering initiative known as The Pride Fund has been established. Spearheaded by Parmesh Shahani, head, Godrej DEI Lab; Radhika Piramal, executive director, VIP Industries and trustee, Dasra UK, which works to build awareness of effective philanthropy in India; and Keshav Suri, executive director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group and founder, The Keshav Suri Foundation, The Pride Fund stands as India’s first LGBTQIA+ philanthropy fund.

The fund’s initial corpus stands at ₹2 crore, supported by contributions from Godrej Industries Group, a personal donation by Radhika Piramal, and funding from The Keshav Suri Foundation. The goal is to provide consistent and patient philanthropy, ensuring that queer-led and queer-backed organisations receive funding that extends beyond one-off grants. With an estimated 140 million LGBTQIA+ individuals in India, the fund’s vision is to create lasting, on-ground impact by empowering organisations that work directly within the community.

Read the full article about India’s first LGBTQ+ philanthropy fund by Barry Rodgers at The Hindu.