Who Is Sonal Giani? The LGBTQIA+ Activist And DEI Consultant Driving Inclusion Across South Asia

This Pride Month as The Reelstars shine a spotlight on individuals creating meaningful social change, Sonal Giani stands out as one of India’s leading voices in LGBTQIA+ advocacy. Additionally, she is noted for her work in workplace inclusion. Through activism, public speaking, policy work, and storytelling, she has dedicated over 18 years to building safer, more equitable spaces for marginalized communities.

Who Is Sonal Giani?

Sonal Giani is a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) consultant, LGBTQIA+ inclusion expert, public speaker, activist, and independent filmmaker. With more than 11.7K followers on Instagram, she uses her platform to educate audiences about identity, inclusion, allyship, and social justice.

Over the years, she has delivered more than 150 workshops, keynote sessions, and training programs for organizations, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and leadership teams across India and internationally.

How Did Her Advocacy Journey Begin?

Sonal’s journey began in grassroots activism. There, she worked closely with LGBTQIA+ communities and advocated for greater visibility, support, and rights.

She co-founded Umang, India’s first formal support group for lesbian, bisexual women, and transmasculine persons. She also co-founded Yaariyan, one of the country’s largest LGBTQIA+ youth collectives. These initiatives helped create safe spaces, support networks, and opportunities for community building. This was during a period when LGBTQIA+ representation in India remained limited.

She later worked as an Advocacy Manager at The Humsafar Trust. In that role, she focused on crisis intervention, awareness campaigns, and sensitization programs involving corporates, policymakers, and law enforcement agencies.

What Does Sonal Giani Do Today?

Today, Sonal works as a DEI and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Consultant, helping organizations create more inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces.

Her work focuses on areas such as:

• Inclusive leadership and workplace culture
• LGBTQIA+ allyship and advocacy
• Gender, sexuality, and identity awareness
• Power, privilege, and intersectionality
• Gender-inclusive healthcare
• Mental health and identity
• Addressing workplace bias and harassment

Through workshops and consulting projects, she helps leaders and teams translate inclusion from policy into everyday practice.

Working With Global Organizations

Throughout her career, Sonal has collaborated with several major organizations. These include Microsoft, Accenture, Goldman Sachs, TCS, Wells Fargo, Stanford University, and the Indian School of Business.

She has also contributed to global health and human rights initiatives through advisory roles with organizations such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). In addition, she serves as a member of the NGO Delegation on the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board.

Her work has focused on advancing inclusive policies and strengthening sexual and reproductive health rights programs. Moreover, she is committed to ensuring better representation of LGBTQIA+ communities in decision-making spaces.

Speaker, Storyteller, And Filmmaker

Beyond consulting and advocacy, Sonal is also an accomplished storyteller and filmmaker.

She has delivered a TEDx talk titled Pride and Prejudice and has been featured across platforms including ZEE TV’s Connected Hum Tum, Femina, and Cosmopolitan’s Rainbow List. Furthermore, her work has appeared in The Better India and several international forums discussing diversity and inclusion.

She has also appeared in films such as Purple Skies and W, using storytelling to amplify queer voices. As a result, she highlights lived experiences that often remain underrepresented in mainstream conversations.

Awards And Recognition

Sonal’s contributions to LGBTQIA+ rights and workplace inclusion have earned her several recognitions. These include the Diversity Leadership Award in 2016 and the Queero Award in 2019.

Today, she continues to work across corporate boardrooms, educational institutions, policy forums, and community spaces. She advocates for a world where inclusion goes beyond awareness and becomes part of everyday culture.

Through her work, Sonal Giani remains committed to creating spaces where people feel seen, respected, and empowered to be themselves.