The First Same-Sex Couple To Get A Vogue Cover In India

Haima Simoes and Shruti Venkatesh are the first same-sex couple to grace the cover of Vogue India. Is this a whole new chapter for India, or is this just the beginning?

Haima and Shruti aren’t professional models, nor are they huge celebrities, yet they’re the ones who were chosen to champion the LGBTQ+ movement in India by gracing the cover of Vogue. Haima Simoes is a freelancer who works in digital advertising and social media, while Shruti is a developer. Modeling is just a side-hustle for them, but they say it’s a great opportunity.

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Shruti and Simoes met in College in Mumbai, this is the place for LGBTQ+ people to be in India. It’s relatively safe to be out and proud here, without attracting too much unwanted attention. It’s not like that everywhere else. For example, Simoes grew up in Goa, was bullied at school when she came out to her friends at the age of 13. However, she was lucky to have a supportive family, who always had her back.