Celebrating Pride with Aditya Madiraju and Amit Shah: In conversation about marriage, LGBTQIA rights & more

Last summer, you likely saw Aditya Madiraju and Amit Shah’s traditional Hindu wedding in New Jersey take the internet by storm. From their swanky Anita Dongre kurtas to their energetic reception at Pondicheri NYC, everything about their wedding celebrations had us swooning.

The pair had a very intimate ceremony with just around 50 guests. After the ceremony, the pair shared a few wedding pictures via Instagram, but they never expected their photos and profiles to reach so many people. While most of their close friends and family members knew that Madiraju and Shah were gay, sharing their wedding pictures felt like an official announcement to everyone. 

“We were thinking, we’re married now, so the whole world can know and it doesn’t really matter,” Shah said. “We didn’t really know the whole world was going to know.” 

From Vogue India to the Huffington Post to even the Irish News, the couple has made headlines across the world. Initially, Madiraju and Shah were overwhelmed with the response to their love story.

“At a certain point, I did feel a little bit of pressure because I was like now do we have to keep posting pictures and all,” said Madiraju. “As we went on vacations, I realized it doesn’t matter what I post. If [followers] are going to stick around, they’re going to stick around.”
Today, Madiraju and Shah both have around 50000 followers on Instagram, and they regularly share adorable photos, fun dances, and content about their respective careers and everyday lives.

Madiraju and Shah have become a source of hope for many South Asians in the LGBTQIA community. While they don’t consider themselves influencers, they are happy that many others have found courage and community through their platforms. The couple shared that they get many heartwarming messages from people who have come out to friends and family after seeing their story. 

“We also have a lot of moms and dads that follow us whose son or daughter happens to be gay… that’s also really beautiful and powerful,” Shah said. “We don’t want to just speak to our community but also their parents and friends as well.”

In addition to being vocal about LGBTQIA rights, both Madiraju and Shah have spoken out on their socials about a myriad of social issues including Black Lives Matter and recent protests and riots.

“When someone has been oppressed for so long, they’re not going to be gentle in their approach,” Madiraju said. “I’m gay. I get it. In India, we were criminals up until the last two years. The whole thing that started giving us rights in the US was not a peaceful protest either.”

Despite 2020 having an unprecedentedly turbulent first half, Madiraju and Shah are hopeful for a decade of positive change, especially for the LGBTQIA community. 

“I can’t wait till the day that we’re just a couple and not a gay couple.” Shah said.