This episodes speaker is Milin Dutta. Milin Dutta grew up in Assam, North-East India as Mili Dutta and didn´t know that anyone else could be queer. Years later, she began to organize an annual fundraiser that supports women's financial empowerment in Assam, and founded Out in the Backyard (OIBY), a grassroots movement connecting LGBT and heterosexual people to neighborhood resources and education in Minneapolis while working as an IT Consultant. Mili returned to India in 2014, after a 20-year absence, and organized the first gay Pride event in North East.
In 2015, Mili changed her name and gender and became Milin Dutta. In 2017, Milin took early retirement from work to follow his passion to build community, in Minneapolis and in Assam. He is focused on building a healthy LGBT community in South Minneapolis and women’s empowerment in Assam. His dream is to build bridges between Minneapolis and Assam, creating a healthier community in both locations.
Currently he is collaborating with various young leaders in Assam and working on STEM education, plastic pollution, solid waste management, LGBTQ awareness, animal welfare and eldercare.
Through his organization, Anaajoree, Milin tries to connect/promote/support/inspire local individuals and groups working towards improving the quality of life of both humans and animals, so that North-East India, emerges as a future hub of opportunities in India and the world at large.
Durga as a citizen sector organisation wants to build power and resilience in youth to act against sexual harassment in public spaces and also work towards a Gender Just society. Towards this, we do various strategic activities around engaging with youth in various places like colleges, schools, events, online forums, and also through active campaigning. Some of our efforts include VOICE (Gender Justice) labs in educational institutions, DAREs (Real Heroes who will be active bystanders) on streets, Unlikely Allies (with men, BMTC drivers, and Paurakarmika women) as well as social audits of public spaces that women should rightfully occupy.
To continue with this and show support to the Global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, Durga launched the India Gender Equity Week leading to the first-ever virtual forum named NGAGE to bring youth and others together to create awareness on the women’s movement, the issues of intersectionality, and also solutions aligned with the constitutional rights bestowed on citizens. The Fireside Chat is a continuation of the NGAGE forum. Through the Fireside Chats, Priya from DURGA speaks to Gender Justice activists across the country on their activism and inspiration to youth to further the movement.
