Queer Xangjug 1.0: Nurturing the First Generation of Queer Leaders in Assam
Queer Xangjug 1.0 brought together queer youth and allies from across Assam for a nine-month journey of learning, leadership and belonging. Rooted in community and gender justice, the program nurtured a new generation of young changemakers committed to building a more inclusive future.
Queer Xangjug 1.0: Nurturing the First Generation of Queer Leaders in Assam
There are moments when a program becomes more than a program.
It becomes a community.
It becomes a place where people find language for their experiences, confidence in their identities and courage in each other.
For Akam Foundation, Queer Xangjug 1.0 was one of those moments.
Launched in 2024, Queer Xangjug: Connecting Young Queer and Allies for Gender Justice in Assam was the first leadership development initiative of its kind by Akam Foundation. Over nine months, the program brought together young queer individuals and allies from different districts of Assam to learn, connect, reflect and imagine a more just and inclusive future.
At its heart, Queer Xangjug was created in response to a reality many queer young people know too well: growing up without access to affirming spaces, supportive networks or opportunities to explore their identities safely. While conversations around gender and sexuality are gradually expanding, many queer youth in Assam continue to navigate isolation, discrimination and invisibility.
Queer Xangjug sought to change that.
It was designed not only to build leadership skills but also to nurture community, confidence, critical thinking and collective care. Rooted in intersectional feminist values and community-led learning, the program encouraged participants to see themselves not merely as beneficiaries of change but as leaders capable of shaping it.
Creating Space for Belonging
The journey began in Jorhat, where 29 participants gathered for the first residential workshop.
For some, it was their first time travelling independently. For others, it was their first experience being surrounded by queer people and allies in an affirming environment. It began as a room full of strangers, gradually became a space filled with trust, laughter, conversations and friendships.
Participants explored themes of gender, sexuality, patriarchy, feminism, consent, emotional wellbeing, constitutional rights and sexual and reproductive health through interactive and participatory learning methods. Sessions moved beyond theory and centred lived experiences, encouraging participants to reflect on their own journeys while understanding broader systems of inequality and resistance.
The workshop became more than a learning space. It became a reminder that community can be transformative.
Learning from Those Who Walked Before Us
The second phase of Queer Xangjug connected participants with queer and trans leaders, activists, professionals and movement-builders from across India through a series of online leadership dialogues.
These conversations offered insights into queer histories, community organizing, indigenous knowledge systems, career pathways and the many ways people create change within their communities.
Participants encountered stories of resilience, resistance and leadership from people who had navigated barriers similar to their own. These dialogues helped broaden perspectives and inspired participants to imagine new possibilities for themselves and their futures.
Most importantly, they challenged conventional ideas of leadership.
Leadership, participants discovered, is not always about standing at the front of a room. Sometimes it is about listening, caring, creating space and supporting others to grow.
From Learning to Action in Majuli
The third phase brought participants together again, this time in Majuli, one of Assam’s most culturally significant landscapes.
Here, the focus shifted from learning to action.
Through theater, storytelling, campaign-building exercises and community advocacy tools, participants explored how personal experiences can become powerful catalysts for social change. They developed social action plans rooted in the realities of their own communities and reflected on how they could create impact beyond the program.
Holding this phase in Majuli carried its own significance. The space served as a reminder that queerness is not external to Assamese society or culture. Queer people have always existed within our histories, traditions and communities, even when dominant narratives have attempted to erase their presence.
Participants left Majuli carrying not only ideas but also a renewed sense of purpose.
Celebrating Growth, Community and Possibility
In April 2025, Queer Xanjug 1.0 concluded with a graduation ceremony in Dibrugarh.
The gathering created space for participants to reflect on their journeys, celebrate their achievements and envision the next chapter of their leadership. Stories shared during the graduation reflected growth in confidence, self-acceptance, community engagement and activism.
For many participants, the program had become a turning point in their lives.
Some began organizing community conversations and pride initiatives. Others became advocates within educational institutions and local spaces. Many continued building networks of support and solidarity beyond the program itself.
The graduation was not simply the end of a nine-month journey.
It was the beginning of a growing movement of young queer leaders across Assam.
What This Journey Taught Us
As Akam Foundation’s first funded leadership program, Queer Xangjug 1.0 was both a learning experience and a milestone.
The journey strengthened understanding of community-based leadership development, participant care and long-term engagement. It highlighted the importance of creating spaces that centre emotional wellbeing alongside political education and leadership training.
Most importantly, it reaffirmed a belief that has always guided our work: when queer young people are given safe, affirming and meaningful opportunities to learn and lead, they do not simply participate in change, they become the people driving it.
Looking Ahead
Today, the impact of Queer Xangjug continues to ripple across communities in Assam.
Participants are facilitating conversations, organizing events, supporting peers and building more inclusive spaces wherever they are. The friendships, networks and learnings developed through the program continue to shape their journeys and strengthen community connections.
Queer Xanjug 1.0 was our first batch. It was our first step.
But more than that, it was the beginning of a growing community of queer leaders committed to dignity, justice, solidarity and collective growth.
The seeds planted through this journey will continue to grow, carried forward by the very young people who dared to imagine a different future and are now helping to build it.