‘Feels like home’ — Inside Bihar’s first LGBTQ+-run restaurant

When Aditi Gupta, 19, first walked into Satrangi Dostana to work, her hands trembled—not from the fear of hot oil or balancing trays, but from the sheer weight of the moment.

“I don’t want to be perceived as transgender. All I want is acceptance as a daughter and a girl,” she tells The Indian Express, carefully setting the table. “Don’t judge my gender based on appearance or attire, but on emotion and soul. Everyone has their own struggles—we are struggling too. We are your children.”

More than a place to eat, Satrangi Dostana is a message. Located in a two-storey building with rainbow displays and Bollywood melodies playing softly, it serves Chinese snacks, South Indian breakfast, parathas, soups, burgers, mocktails and more. An open terrace on the second-floor displays 55 words related to gender and identity—designed to start conversations.

Funded through crowdfunding, donations and grants, the restaurant employs nearly 20 people. From chefs to servers to baristas, each of them has a story to tell.

Born in Bihar’s Fatuha region, Aditi says she always felt at odds with the body she was born into, taking refuge in jewellery, sarees, and makeup. When she came out to her family, she was met with denial — and at times, violence. Only her mother offered some support, but it was not enough to keep her home.

Aditi left, hoping to find acceptance elsewhere. She was forced to spend a night at the Patna railway station.

Her turning point came with activist Reshma Prasad, who introduced her to Garima Greh, a shelter home for transgender persons run by Dostana Safar, a community-based organisation registered under the Societies Act in 2012. Here, Aditi found not just a roof but the beginnings of recovery. With the NGO’s support, she started working at Satrangi Dostana.

The restaurant, whose staff was also from the LGBTQ+ community, was inaugurated on June 23, 2023, by Prasad, secretary of Dostana Safar and now a judicial member at the Patna civil district court, with support from the Patna Municipal Corporation. It was inaugurated by US Consul General Melinda Pavek and Patna Mayor Sita Sahu.

One of the staffers says, “We feel like people are our own here, and we can express ourselves. No one asks ‘who are you?’ or ‘what are you?’ They ask, ‘how are you?’”

For Aditi, the experience has been transformative. “I’ve grown my hair, and I feel so good about it. I love it,” she says.

A regular customer, sipping on a cappuccino, said: “This place is wholesome. The food is good, but it’s the people who make it feel like home”. Now financially independent, Aditi even sends money back to the family that once turned her away. She dreams big. But Satrangi Dostana faces its share of challenges.

Tucked inside a narrow lane with no proper road and muddy patches, the location remains hard to access. While eateries on main roads enjoy higher footfall, Satrangi Dostana struggles with visibility. Limited space and lack of advertising also hinder growth. Pricing, slightly higher than average, has deterred some customers.

Still, the staff remain committed.

According to the 2011 Census, Bihar has 40,827 transgender persons — the highest among Indian states. But access to employment, housing and healthcare remains scarce. While the state has taken steps — hosting its first Pride Parade in 2012 and forming a Transgender Welfare Board in 2019—systemic gaps persist. A controversy in 2023, where transgender persons were listed under the “caste” category in a state government survey, sparked criticism.

Reflecting on the journey of her restaurant, Reshma Prasad says: “People told me to start something small—like a tea stall. But I had a different vision. Through this restaurant, I want to say: transgender people also have a life, and we can work with dignity”.

“I am Reshma—but this is not just my story. I urge people not to see this struggle only through me, but through everyone like me. The fight against negativity isn’t ours alone. Society must also take responsibility.”