What Pride Looks Like After June: 5 Indian Groups Uplifting LGBTQIA+ Lives With Support & Shelter
Every June, the rainbows come out. Social media fills up with posts celebrating Pride, companies change their logos, and for a few weeks, there’s a lot of talk about love, acceptance, and equality.
But behind all of it are real people: many still fighting daily battles that aren’t always visible. Even with Section 377 gone, being openly LGBTQIA+ in India can mean facing judgement at home, silence at work, and rejection from people who matter most.
Thankfully, there are safe spaces being built — often away from the spotlight. Across India, organisations are stepping up to offer not just support, but dignity, safety, and a real sense of belonging. Here are five such groups making a difference every single day.
1) Nestam, Andhra Pradesh
Nestam is a leading LGBTQIA+ support organisation based in Visakhapatnam. Through film screenings, human libraries, Pride Month celebrations, workshops, and seminars, they promote awareness and understanding, especially among police personnel and government officials.
Beyond advocacy, it offers essential support and resources, such as safe housing for the community, and actively encourages the installation of all-gender restrooms across public spaces.
Through short film contests and online events, Nestam challenges stereotypes and promotes acceptance, working tirelessly to create a more inclusive environment for all gender identities and sexual orientations in the coastal state.
Contact here.
2) Lakshya Trust, Gujarat
Founded by India’s first openly gay prince, Manvendra Singh Gohil, this non-profit transformed part of Rajpipla Palace into a shelter for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
The organisation addresses the social, economic, legal, psychological, spiritual, and health needs of sexual minorities, chiefly MSM (men having sex with men) and GBT (gay, bisexual, and transgender) communities across Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot.
With 11 drop-in centres, over 179 peer educators, and an 83-member project team, it is Gujarat’s largest community-based MSM organisation. Lakshya Trust strategically aims to boost condom use, encourage STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) treatment, and reduce STD/HIV/AIDS rates.
The organisation also runs community hubs like the Queer A+ Campus in Rajpipla, providing library access, computer and vocational training, therapy sessions, legal aid, and temporary shelter
Contact here.
3) The Humsafar Trust, Maharashtra
With over 30 years of service, The Humsafar Trust is one of India’s pioneering organisations for LGBTQIA+ people. Based in Mumbai, it ardently advocates for the community’s rights and delivers comprehensive health services, including free HIV testing and treatment.
The community-based organisation also champions mental health, legal advocacy, and workplace inclusion through initiatives like the Saksham job fair, a community-led employment drive first held in April 2022. It goes beyond a typical job fair, bringing together panel discussions, upskilling workshops, résumé reviews, career counselling, and structured interviews.
Its proactive contributions ensure the protection and promotion of health and human rights for India’s LGBTQIA+ population. So far, Humsafar has extended support to over 1 lakh individuals.
Contact here.
4) Naz Foundation (India) Trust, Delhi
Founded in 1994 by Anjali Gopalan, Naz Foundation has been a pioneer in advancing LGBTQIA+ rights in India, including leading the 2009 legal battle that first struck down Section 377. Alongside legal advocacy, it provides counselling, peer support groups, medical and legal referrals, and home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Their LGBTQIA+ initiative has provided face‑to‑face and tele‑counselling, medical referrals, home‑based care for families, and outreach on safe‑sex, stigma and coming‑out — reaching over 234,000 individuals to date
Its youth-focused sports programmes, vocational training, and peer education initiatives help build confidence and create safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals across the country. A nationwide helpline (+91 8800329176 / +91 (011) 47504630) further extends emotional and mental health support.
Contact here.
Aravani Art Project works with the transgender community to sensitise people through mural art.
5) The Aravani Art Project, Karnataka
Led by transgender and cisgender women, the Aravani Art Project is dedicated to empowering the transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities through art.
By reclaiming public spaces and challenging social stigma, the project promotes visibility and fosters dialogue. It collaborates with trained transgender artists to transform school walls, cafes, metro pillars and other public spaces into vibrant canvases that celebrate diversity.
Since its launch in Bengaluru in 2016, the project has expanded to Mumbai, Jaipur, Delhi, Chennai, Goa, and Coimbatore, engaging local artists and communities in its dynamic approach to inclusion and awareness.
Contact here.
Edited by Khushi Arora.
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