James Williams, American Gay Activist Working in India, Dies of COVID

James Williams, an American writer and gay activist who was seeking to improve LGBTQ+ representation in media in India, has died of COVID-19.

Williams, 35, died Thursday in a hospital near Delhi, The New York Times reports. He had tested positive for the virus four days earlier.

The Alabama-born Williams became a personal assistant to writer Daphne Merkin after he graduated from Columbia University in 2008, and he traveled around the world with her. His love of travel endured, and on a vacation in India in 2017, he met Ayush Thakur. Williams moved to India to live with Thakur, and the two men became engaged. They were trying to secure a visa for Thakur so they could be married in the U.S.

They hoped to eventually work in entertainment in Los Angeles, but while in India, Williams focused on the media landscape there. He saw that anti-LGBTQ+ stigma was still common in the nation, even after the decriminalization of same-sex relations in 2018. He came up with the idea of television shows on the model of Will & Grace, as he thought introducing likable gay characters to audiences would be a counter to bigotry. He began pitching shows to producers, but last year the pandemic put a stop to those efforts.

Trending stories

JD Vance ruthlessly mocked after everyone in Greenland refused to welcome wife Usha Vance

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Where to stay in LGBTQ+ Ireland: Castles, domes and luxury retreats

The Charles is Pacific Grove's new LGBTQ+ hotel

Watch: In gay period romance 'Lilies Not For Me,' playful wrestling turns sensual (exclusive)

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

Alan Cumming jumps for joy after major 'Avengers: Doomsday' casting news

Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources

'Mid-Century Modern': Celebrate Linda Lavin's most iconic roles

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

Discover why chic Costa Navarino is Europe's luxury getaway

​6 lesbian films coming we can't wait to see in 2025

Cowboys & Queens U.S. tour by Jane Hilton: A modern American dream

In 'Mid-Century Modern,' the 'gay Avengers' assemble for needed comic relief

Nathan Lee Graham wants 'Mid-Century Modern's queer viewers to 'lean into the joy'

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

SFAF's Dr. Tyler TerMeer says he'll continue to fight for health care for all

Matt Bomer, as a 'Mid-Century Modern' ditz, can finally 'experience queer joy'

Bob the Drag Queen shades Mistress Isabelle Brooks’ weight loss: 'Girl, you have to get new pads'

In 'Survival of the Thickest,' queer joy and activism are one and the same

From rock legends to Pride flags: Discover the vibrant LGBTQ+ scene in Asbury Park

• 0
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

Williams "really believed in the power of the media to change the way people thought about certain disfavored populations," his brother, John, told the Times.

Laura Kleinbaum, a friend who attended Columbia with James Williams, recalled him as a talented writer with an excellent sense of humor. "He was a campus character, a big, tall, funny guy who always had a good story to tell," she told the paper.

India has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases recently, with many hospitals unable to accommodate patients; some people have died while in line awaiting admission. Williams managed to secure a hospital bed, but it could not save his life.

James and John's mother, Kay Williams, died in a car accident in 1992, and their father, Kenneth Williams, died by suicide three years later. The brothers then went to live with an aunt and uncle, Sharon and Bill Alexander, in upstate New York. James is survived by the Alexanders and their children, Christie, Jessica, and Doug, in addition to his brother and Thakur.