Chanu Nimesha

Chanu Nimesha is a Sri Lankan LGBTQ rights activist and politician. She made history as the first transgender candidate to contest in a general election in Sri Lanka after she contested the 2024 parliamentary elections as a member of the Socialist Party of Sri Lanka.

Personal life Nimesha was born in Galle, in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Her father was killed in the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection. Her family members would eventually abandon her after refusing to recognize her transgender identity, forcing Nimesha to relocate to Colombo. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, she revealed that she had developed an interest in politics at a young age and she insisted that her bookcase had been predominantly occupied with socialist and leftist ideology books. She coordinated a Pride March as part of the protests at Galle Face, and under her guidance, the first pride parade was held in Sri Lanka. She and many other LGBTQ activists joined the Aragalaya movement and installed a tent on Galle Face, protesting alongside other protesters with a focus on LGBTQ issues.

In 2024, Nimesha contested the parliamentary elections from the Kegalle District, representing the Socialist Party of Sri Lanka as one of the party's main candidates. Her campaign focused predominantly on tackling social justice issues. Although she was not elected, her campaign represented a significant step in transgender visibility in Sri Lanka.