Ritu Jha-
Indian American Hollywood actor and activist Kal Penn made news Nov 1. when he came out as gay, and that he was and engaged to Josh, his partner of 11 years.
Born in New Jersey, Penn, 44, became known for his role in the “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” comedy series but made his first impression among Indian American community during his performance in the film “The Namesake.”
Penn took a sabbatical from acting to serve in the Obama/Biden administration, where he served as the President’s liaison to young Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, and the arts community.

Reacting and sharing about Penn as a person and about the news, Rajiv Satyal, an American comedian told indica News: “Big congrats to Kal Penn!”
“When actress Melanie Chandra and I interviewed Kal for our live show in 2020 (there’s a phrase you don’t hear often: “live show in 2020”; hey, this was February), I expressed to Kal that I believe he attained a level of fame higher than any South Asian entertainer in America. With the possible exception of Mindy Kaling, think about it: just about every single person in this country knew about “Harold & Kumar.” Later, Penn would upgrade from a White Castle to the White House, serving in the Obama administration.
“For an icon of our community who conquered both the arts and politics to come out is monumentally inspiring. My brother, Rakesh Satyal, himself a prominent queer author, once remarked to me: ‘Of course, most of Hollywood is gay. How many straight kids were in drama club in high school? Hollywood is just grown-up drama club.’ Personally, I’m astounded that it’s taking people this long to live the way they’re born. I mean, this is the ’20s in the United States. To borrow a phenomenon from the 1920s: who cares which way we swing?”
According to Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist Kanwal Rekhi, “California, especially the Bay Area, has become very tolerant of gay people. So, I am surprised he took this long to come out of the closet.
“As far as parents go, I am not sure how I would have reacted. It is hard to know unless you are confronted with it. Indian culture historically has been very tolerant of LGBTQ people. But I have known Indians to be most intolerant people, too.”
Rekhi’s son Ben directed Penn in the 2018 movie “The Ashram.”

Ben Rekhi responded to a question from indica News, saying, “As for the news of him coming out this week, I’m really happy for him. It can be hard for everyone in our culture to accept that our world is not binary, so I’m deeply supportive of his decision to share his private life publicly.
“He’s brilliant, compassionate, and dedicated to leaving the world a better place than he found it – who else makes us laugh and cry, then drops everything and works for the Obama administration? I couldn’t be happier for Kal, and can’t wait to see what he does next.”
Sonia Pelia, president of the board of directors at Maitri, a Bay Area-based organization that addresses domestic violence, also expressed happiness for Penn and partner, adding, “It is none of my business whether Kal Penn is gay or not. Yes, it is also true that as a public figure and with the kind of stature Kal Penn has, he could help change the bias against LGBTQQ, or, at the very least, start a conversation
about the bias in the desi community.
“Sadly, being LGBTQQ is still a big taboo for many in the South Asian community. The impact of this non-acceptance by parents can be very painful and damaging to those who do not identify as heterosexual,” Pelia told indica News.
Penn reportedly met his fiancé during his time working in Washington, D.C.
“I discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people,” Penn told People magazine. “There’s no timeline on this stuff. People figure their shit out at different times in their lives, so I’m glad I did when I did. I’ve always been very public (about my relationship) with everybody I’ve personally interacted with.”