CRISIS SUPPORT, LEGAL SERVICES, HEALTHCARE
ADVOCACY, AWARENESS AND RESEARCH
SUPPORT GROUPS, NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY PLATFORMS
CRISIS SUPPORT, LEGAL SERVICES, HEALTHCARE
The groups in this section provide a substantial amount of support in the form of access to lawyers, doctors, mental health counsellors and psychiatrists, and help in emergency situations.
Naz Foundation (India) Trust
Location: Delhi
Serves: LGBTQ
An organisation that works in the area of sexual health, it raises awareness about HIV/AIDS and how to prevent it, and also helps LGBTQ people with getting access to doctors, lawyers, and counselors.
Website/social media: https://nazindia.org, https://twitter.com/naz_foundation?lang=en, https://www.facebook.com/Nazfoundationindiatrust
Contact details: naz@nazindia.org, +11 2691 0499
Sangini Trust
Location: Delhi
Serves: Queer women
A body set up under the Naz Foundation that provides counseling and emergency response services to queer women.
Website/social media: https://sanginiindia.wordpress.com, https://www.facebook.com/pg/SanginiIndia
Contact details: sangini97@hotmail.com, Helpline: +91 97176 77152 (Tue, Fri, 6-8pm)
The Humsafar Trust
Location: Mumbai and Delhi
Serves: LGBTQ+
One of the oldest organisations by and for the queer community, it works on a very wide range of issues including rights, health, research and training, counseling, and offers legal help and shelter to those who need it. It also offers counselling to families of queer people.
Website/social media: https://humsafar.org, https://www.facebook.com/TheHumsafarTrustOfficial, https://twitter.com/humsafartrust
Contact details: info@humsafar.org, humsafartrust@gmail.com, +91 11 4601 6699 (Delhi) +91 22 2667 3800 (Mumbai), +91 22 2665 0547 (Mumbai)
Umang
Location: Mumbai
Serves: LBT
An offshoot of Humsafar Trust, this is a support group for lesbians, bisexual women and trans people. They provide access to mental health counselling and legal help, and even organise social events, get-togethers and an annual cricket tournament – the Queer Premier League!
Website/Social Media: https://humsafar.org/umang, https://www.instagram.com/umanglbt, https://www.facebook.com/umanglbt
Contact details: +91 99300 95856
Sappho for Equality
Location: Kolkata
Serves: LBT
A group for lesbian, bisexual women, and trans-men rights. It provides a range of services including mental health counseling, legal aid, crisis intervention and a wide range of resources. It also organises events like film festivals and workshops to sensitise medical professionals and police. It also offers counselling to families of queer women and trans-men.
Website/social media: http://www.sapphokolkata.in
Contact details: sappho1999@gmail.com, +91 33 24419995, Helpline +91 98315 18320 (12 pm – 8 pm except Mondays)
Lakshya Trust
Location: Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot
Serves: GBT
An organisation for the rights of gay and bisexual men, and trans-women. It raises awareness about AIDS and aims to prevent it from spreading, and provides legal services as well as a resource centre.
Website/social media: http://lakshyatrust.com, https://www.facebook.com/lakshya.trust.73
Contact details: pehchan.lakshya@yahoo.com, +91 265 2461340
Kolkata Rista
Location: Kolkata
Serves: Men who have sex with men (MSM), male to female trans
A community-based organisation that provides healthcare services and focuses on AIDS awareness and prevention. It also offers help during a crisis, and refers lawyers and doctors to hijras and other male-to-female trans persons in parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Website/social media: http://www.kolkatarista.org
Contact details: +91 33 3262 5651 , +91 93392 19696
Madhya Banglar Sangram
Location: Behrampore
Serves: Hijra, Kothi, MSM
An organisation that supports trans, Hijra, Kothi and gay people in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. It provides information and counselling on gender, sexuality and sexual health, helps people find doctors, helps out during a crisis, and organises events like campaigns and theatre performances.
Website/social media: www.facebook.com/madhyabanglar.sangram.3
Contact details: sangram_06@hotmail.com, +91 96798 53039
Sahayatrika
Location: Thrissur
Serves: LBT
A human rights organisation that supports lesbians, bisexual women, trans men, asexual and intersex people in Kerala. It provides assistance in a crisis, organises pride marches, and provides information and resources.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/Sahayatrika-715674861851052
Contact details: sahayatrika@gmail.com, +91 97449 55866 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 4-7 pm)
Sangama
Location: Bangalore and Hassan
Serves: LGBTQ+
A resource centre on sexuality that has been involved in raising awareness about queer people and upholding their rights. It helps with access to counselors, conducts programmes on HIV prevention and even worked on a movie, which was released in 2012.
Website/social media: http://sangama.surge.sh, https://www.facebook.com/pg/SangamaIndia
Contact details: sangama@sangama.org, +91 99729 03460
Swabhava Trust
Location: Bangalore
Serves: LGBTQ+
An organisation that works to provide queer people with access to doctors, lawyers, counsellors, and other services. It also helps organise events like film festivals and provide training on diversity to corporates, among other activities.
Website/social media: http://swabhava.org, https://www.facebook.com/SwabhavaBlr
Contact details: swabhavatrust@gmail.com, sahayabangalore@hotmail.com, +91 80 2223 0959
Sarathi Trust Location: NagpurServes: LGBTQ+An organisation that provides a safe space for gay men, MSM, hijras and trans-women and works to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and how to prevent it. It also facilitates access to healthcare, particularly for people living with HIV, and is involved in advocacy by engaging with the media, police, doctors, lawyers and so on.Website/social media: http://www.
Samapathik TrustLocation: PuneServes: LGBTHIThis organisation works on raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and preventing its spread. It also has a drop-in centre in Budhwar Peth which acts as a safe space where people can relax, watch TV, read, and seek counselling, and it facilitates STI testing and access to doctors and lawyers.Website/social media: http://samapathik.org, https://www.facebook.com/Samapathik-Trust-Pune-140061432779100Contact details: samapathik@hotmail.com, +91 97636 40480
Human Rights Law Network (HRLN)Location: Several states across IndiaServes: General population, LGBTQ+HRLN provides a range of legal services to different communities, and a part of its work involves working with LGBTQ+ organisations and activists to provide legal assistance to those who cannot afford it.Website/social media: https://hrln.org/initiatives/sexual-minority-rights, https://www.facebook.com/SLIC.HRLNContact details: contact@hrln.org, +91 11 2437 4501
SAAHAS
Location: Mumbai
Serves: LGBTQ+
A therapy group in Mumbai for queer individuals run by two queer mental health professionals. They aim to provide mental health support and build emotional resilience in a queer-only group therapy setting. They've been running in Thane and aim to expand to other venues in Mumbai.
Website/social media: https://www.psychratic.com/blank, https://www.facebook.com/SAAHASTG, @SaahasTherapyGroup on Instagram.
Contact details: saahastherapygroup@gmail.com
ADVOCACY, AWARENESS AND RESEARCH
This list is for groups involved in advocacy – which might involve investing in research, fighting legal battles on behalf of the community to establish LGBTQ+ rights, or promoting LGBTQ+ causes and raising awareness:
Srishti Madurai
Location: Madurai
Serves: Genderqueer, gender variants, intersex, LGBTQ+
A students volunteer group that supports queer people in smaller towns in Tamil Nadu. It organises conferences, awareness and sensitisation programs, and facilitates counselling.
Website/social media: http://srishtimadurai.blogspot.com
Contact details: shristi.genderqueer@gmail.com, +91 90922 82369
Solidarity Foundation
Location: Bangalore
Serves: LGBTQ+, sex workers
Provides support to sex workers and sexual minorities by offering fellowships and grants.
Website/social media: http://www.solidarityfoundation.in
Contact details: solidarityfoundation2013@gmail.com, +91 80 4099 0154
The Kinky Collective
Location: Online
Serves: Everyone
A group that raises awareness and conducts workshops about kink and BDSM, and issues related to it such as gender, sexuality, human rights, consent and safety. It is also a space for people who are not from the kink community to understand it better.
Website/social media: https://kinkycollective.com/about, https://twitter.com/thekinkygroup, https://www.facebook.com/kinkycollective
Contact details: thekinkygroup@gmail.com
Orinam
Location: Chennai
Serves: LGBTQ+
A collective that offers support and space for culture and activism. It creates several kinds of helpful resources (and even a lovely photo archive!) – and organises events such as meet-ups, literary events and film festivals. The material and resources on its website are available in both English and Tamil.
Website/social media: http://orinam.net, https://www.facebook.com/Orinam.net, https://twitter.com/chennaipride
Contact details: http://orinam.net/contact, orinamwebber@gmail.com
Xukia
Location: Guwahati
Serves: LGBTQ+
A collective that helps raise awareness about queer issues and provides information and counselling on gender and sexuality to queer people in Assam. It also organises events like life-skills workshops, awareness campaigns and film festivals.
Website/social media: www.xukia.in, https://www.facebook.com/xukia.assam
Contact details: xukia2014@gmail.com, Helpline: +91 97074 65672 (daily 3-8 pm)
Queerythm
Location: Trivandrum
Serves: LGBTQ+
A support group that aims to fight discrimination against queer people. It organises regular monthly meet-ups as well as pride walks, awareness campaigns and more.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/queerythm
Contact details: queerrythm@gmail.com, +91 97478 11406, Helpline: +91 97455 45559
The Queer Muslim Project
Location: Delhi/Online
Serves: Queer muslims
An online platform that focuses on creating visibility and awareness about queer Muslim issues in India and South Asia.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/thequeermuslimproject
Contact details: thequeermuslimproject@gmail.com
LABIA - A Queer Feminist LBT Collective
Location: Mumbai
Serves: LBT persons
LABIA is a collective founded in 1995, that works on actions and campaigns around gender and sexuality with other queer and feminist groups, and movements working on democratic rights. It offers crisis support to queer women and transpersons, promotes creative expression through its publications, and conducts action research. Membership includes queer women, transmen, transwomen, genderqueer folx, and non-binary persons. It publishes a zine called SCRIPTS (more on this in the 'Publications' section below!)
Website/social media: https://twitter.com/labia_lbt, https://www.facebook.com/SCRIPTS-338019985414, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWwpWgohsK1AsGqbKYk_-Nw
Contact details: labiacollective@gmail.com, +91 70453 78196
Ondede: Dignity - Voice - Sexuality
Location: Bangalore
Serves: LGBTQ+
A support and action group interested in the rights of children, women, and people from sexual minorities. It also speaks to corporates about employing trans people, sensitises lawyers, and holds awareness programmes in schools.
Website/social media: https://ondede.wordpress.com, https://www.facebook.com/Ondede-Dignity-Voice-Sexuality-1421467274812188, https://twitter.com/ondededvs
Contact details: ondededvs@gmail.com
Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum (KSMF)
Location: Hubli
Serves: LGBTQ+
A state-wide group that highlights sexual minority rights.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ksmforum
Contact details: ksmforum@gmail.com, +91 93800 29552
Queerala
Location: Kochi
Serves: LGBTQ+
An organisation that provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ people in Kerala and focuses on advocacy.
Website/social media: http://queerala.org, https://www.facebook.com/pg/Queerala
Contact details: queerala2014@gmail.com, Helpline: +91 80756 45060
SUPPORT GROUPS, NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY PLATFORMS
These are groups that focus on community building, providing peer support and safe spaces.
Sampoorna
Location: Online
Serves: Trans, intersex people
A group that aims to fight for social justice by creating a network of people and highlighting trans and intersex issues.
Website/social media: https://sampoornaindiablog.wordpress.com, https://twitter.com/SampoornaIndia, https://www.facebook.com/pg/sampoorna.india
Contact details: https://sampoornaindiablog.wordpress.com/contact
Harmless Hugs
Location: Delhi
Serves: LGBTQ+
A platform that aims to empower the community and hosts get-togethers and workshops. They can also facilitate access to medical or legal services in an emergency.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/harmlesshugs, https://twitter.com/harmlesshugs
Contact details: harmlesshugs.india@gmail.com, m.me/harmless hugs
Nazariya
Location: Delhi
Serves: LGBTQ+
A queer feminist group that creates resources, organises training, mental health counselling, and community projects. It also organises events like film screenings, book launches, workshops and talks.
Website/social media: https://nazariyaqfrg.wordpress.com
Contact details: Nazariya.qfrg@gmail.com, +91 72910 12585, Helpline: +91 7291012585 (Mon - Fri, 10 am - 6 pm)
Dumdum Swikriti Society
Location: Kolkata
Serves: LGBTQ+
An organisation that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It provides information and counselling on gender, sexuality and sexual health, and refers people to doctors and lawyers.
Contact details: swikriti2003@hotmail.com, Helpline: +91 94343 33642 (daily 10 am-12 pm and 5-9 pm) and +91 98317 43608 (7-10 pm weekdays, 10 am-7 pm weekends)
Amitie Trust
Location: Hooghly
Serves: LGBTQ+
Provides emotional support to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Hooghly and Howrah districts of West Bengal. It also organises community clinics and events to raise awareness about AIDS and how to prevent it.
Website/social media: http://amitietrust.org
Contact details: amitie.trust@yahoo.com, +91 98748 71578
The Bi-Collective
Location: Delhi
Serves: Bisexual, pansexual people
A resource and support group and safe space for people who are bisexual, bi+, bicurious and pansexual.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/bidelhi, https://twitter.com/bi_delhi
Contact details: bicollectivedelhi@gmail.com
Jeeva
Location: Bangalore
Serves: Working class LGBTQ+
A trust that focuses on mental health care, ensuring livelihoods, and community media for working class sexuality minorities.
Website/social media: https://jeevabng.wordpress.com/, https://www.facebook.com/jeevabng
Contact details: jeevabng@gmail.com
Yariyaan
Location: Mumbai
Serves: LGBTQ+ youth
An initiative of the Humsafar Trust, it is a 6,000-member-strong support group for young LGBTQ people. It provides resources and organises outings and social events, among other activities.
Website/social media: https://humsafar.org/yaariyan, https://www.facebook.com/YaariyanMumbai, https://twitter.com/yaariyan_lgbtq
Contact details: yaariyan.hst@gmail.com
LBTW Chennai
Location: Chennai/Online
Serves: LBTQIA
A closed Facebook group for lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual women with she/they pronouns.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lbtw.chennai
Gay Bombay
Location: Mumbai
Serves: Gay men
A group that aims to create a safe socio-cultural space for gay men. It organises events like kite-flying sessions or even parties at clubs, and also provides resources and support. It hosts meetings for families of gay men to accept and support their coming out.
Website/social media: https://gaybombay.org, https://twitter.com/GBgaybombay, https://www.facebook.com/groups/gaybombay/, www.instagram.com/GBGayBombay
All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association
Location: Imphal
Serves: Transwomen
An association that brings together people who are transgender and other queer people. It helps them access legal aid and social welfare schemes, and organises get-togethers and events to spread awareness about queer issues.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/AMANAMANIPUR
Contact details: nupimanbi@gmail.com
LGBTQ by Mist
Location: Pune
Serves: LGBTQ+
An online collective that wants to celebrate being queer and build strength within the community. It is present in three cities: Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, organises film and art festivals, talks and meet-ups, and has helped other LGBTQ organisations improve their online presence.
Website/social media: http://lgbtq.co.in, https://www.facebook.com/Mist.lGBTQ,
Contact details: info@lgbtq.co.in, +91 95523 56574
All Sorts of Queer (ASQ)
Location: Bangalore/Online
Serves: All queer people who are not cis-men
A support group and safe space. It encourages interaction and discussion on a private Facebook group.
Contact details: asq.blore@gmail.com, +91 99451 64425, +91 99864 90315
Ace Bengaluru
Location: Bangalore/Online
Serves: Asexuals
A closed Facebook group for asexual people in Bangalore.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ace.bengaluru
Asexual India
Location: Online
Serves: Asexuals, partners of asexuals and allies
A website for asexuals with informations and resources, a community forum (that isn’t very active), and personal stories.
Website/social media: http://www.asexualityindia.org, https://www.facebook.com/pg/aceindia2016
Sweekar: The Rainbow Parents
Location: Mumbai
Serves: Parents of queer people
A support group for parents of LGBTQ people, to help one another accept their children’s sexuality.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/SweekarTheRainbowParents
Thane Queer Collective
Location: Thane
Serves: LGBTQ+
A safe space for queer people that organises fun get-togethers like storytelling sessions and potlucks.
Website/social media: https://www.instagram.com/thanequeercollective,
Contact details: thanequeercollective@gmail.com
We’re Here and Queer! (WhaQ!)
Location: Bangalore
Serves: Queer women
A support group for queer women. Holds meetings, social gatherings, and organises fitness groups.
Website/social media: http://whaq.blogspot.com/p/whaq-were-here-and-queer.html, https://www.facebook.com/whaqbangalore
Contact details: whaqbangalore@gmail.com
Gaysi FamilyLocation: Mumbai/OnlineServes: LGBTQ+It began as an online space for expression, and its blog has a number of articles that include personal stories, book reviews, poetry and fiction, and writing about what it's like to be queer and desi. It also hosts offline events like film screenings and book readings, and publishes the Gaysi Zine (more on that in the 'Publications' section!).Website/social media: http://gaysifamily.com, https://twitter.com/gaysifamily, https://www.facebook.com/TheGaysiFamily, https://www.youtube.com/user/sherlockgaysi
Good As You
Location: Bangalore
Serves: LGBTQ+
A queer support group that hosts a variety of activities from get-togethers (even a runner’s group), to health camps and literary events. They also offer counselling and support to families of queer people.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/goodasyoublr
Contact details: goodasyoublr@gmail.com
QueerAbad
Location: Ahmedabad
Serves: LGBTQ+
An online platform for Ahmedabad’s queer people, their families, and allies. It also hosts exciting events like monthly ‘Ask What You Will’ meetings.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/queerabad
Contact details: queerabad@gmail.com, +91 6358 732 980
Ya-All The Youth Network
Location: Imphal
Serves: LGBTQ+
A youth network for arts, health, sports and education. It holds a variety of events – from fashion fests to workshops on leadership skills to sports meets.
Website/social media: https://www.instagram.com/ya.all.manipur
Contact details: hanjabamsadam@gmail.com
The QKnit
Location: Mumbai
Serves: LGBTQ+
An online group that organises meet-ups, holds sensitisation workshops for college staff, shoots short films, and hosts poetry and blogs.
Website/social media: http://theqknit.lgbtq.co.in, https://www.facebook.com/TheQKnitIndia, https://twitter.com/TheQKnit, https://www.instagram.com/theqknit
Contact details: qknitindia@gmail.com
Qgraphy
Location: Mumbai/Online
Serves: LGBTQ+
A platform for queer people and their allies who are interested in photography. Organises weekly competitions on Facebook, and holds walks and workshops on photography.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/qgraphygroup, https://www.instagram.com/qgraphy_group/
Contact details: qgraphygroup@gmail.com
Queer Campus
Location: Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad
A support group that aims to create a safe space for queer youth and students to express themselves.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/qcampusonline, http://www.queercampusbangalore.wordpress.com, https://www.facebook.com/pg/Queercampushyd
Contact details: queercampusdelhi@gmail.com, bangalore.qc@gmail.com, queercampushyd@gmail.com
CAMPUS GROUPS
These are groups on university/college/school campuses -- formal or informal -- that serve as support groups, safe spaces, and in some cases, lobby on behalf of queer students.
Ambar – IIT Kharagpur
Location: Kharagpur
An informal group to raise awareness on diversity in gender and sexuality at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur and support students who come out as queer. It also organises events like film screenings.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ambar.iitkgp/about/?ref=page_internal
Contact details: ambar.iitkharagpur@gmail.com
Orenda – IIT Gandhinagar
Location: Gandhinagar
A club at the Gandhinagar campus of the Indian Institute of Technology that promotes conversation about gender and sexuality and hosts talks, performances, film screenings and workshops, among other events, and acts as a support group.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/www.OrendaGSC.iitgn
Contact details: orenda@iitgn.ac.in
Quasi – IISc
Location: Bangalore
A collective of queer people and allies that aims to raise awareness about gender and sexuality at the Indian Institute of Science.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/quasi.iisc
Contact details: quasi.iisc@gmail.com
Anchor – Gender and Sexuality Cell, BITS Pilani
Location: Pilani
A student community group that aims to encourage dialogue about gender and sexual orientation on the campus of Birla Institute of Technology and Science.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AnchorBITSPilani
Contact details: anchor.bitspilani@gmail.com
The Queer and Ally Network in Manipal
Location: Manipal
Based in a university town, this group’s aim is to highlight queer voices and turn the town into a queer-friendly space.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheQueerAndAllyNetwork
Contact details: qandanet@gmail.com
Breaking Barriers
Location: Delhi
An initiative of Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar under which students are sensitised about LGBTQ+ issues, watch films on the subject, participate in Pride events, and are made peer educators.
Website/social media: http://www.tagoreint.com/vv/V2.0/initiatives/we-care/101-general/new-link/589-breaking-barriers, https://www.facebook.com/pg/breakingbarriers.tis/
Gender and Sexuality Forum, NALSAR
Location: Hyderabad
An academic discussion group for conversations on issues ranging from sexual identity to sexual harassment and assault. It also hosts film screening and street theatre performances.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/258104242031
Indradhanu – IIT Delhi
Location: Delhi
A support group for gender and sexuality minorities that advocates for their rights and pushed for a more inclusive campus.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/IndradhanuIITD
Saathi – IIT Bombay
Location: Mumbai
A resource group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning people that pushes for a more inclusive campus.
Website/social media: https://www.facebook.com/pg/saathi.iitb
