Anuradha Bhagwati

Anuradha Bhagwati is a writer, activist, and Marine Corps veteran. She founded the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), which aims to reveal and speak out about sexual violence in the military as well as help overturn the ban on women in combat.

Anuradha is a media commentator and has received numerous awards. Her writing on issues related to national security, women’s rights, civil rights, and mental health has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Foreign Affairs, and The New Republic.

Also a yoga and meditation teacher, she lives in New York City with her service dog, Duke.

In March 2019, Bhagwati published her book Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience. It is a revealing story about the life of a dutiful daughter of immigrants to a radical activist, as she endures racism, homophobia, and sexism all the while she fights for historic political reform and the true American Dream: equal rights for all.

One of the most crucial parts of the book is her relationship with her parents, a deeply conservative home. When she found out she was bi, her mother threatened to kill herself if she didn’t stop it. She also talks about his time in the military and how it was forbidden to be gay, bi, or trans.