With the transgender policy in place and a slew of awareness campaigns to boot, one would expect the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community to feel more accepted and unfazed. But going by the data provided by the only LGBT helpline in the State, the majority of the community members is grappling with chronic depression, some of them drifting towards the suicidal fringe.
“In the first 60 days, we received 26 calls from people contemplating suicide, eight among them with a history of multiple attempts,” says Prijith P.K., secretary, Queerythm, a community-based organisation that started the helpline.
The 24x7 helpline that went functional on November 20, 2017 has received hundreds of distress calls seeking solutions for a range of issues from transphobia and discrimination to domestic conflicts and homelessness.
“We start by counselling over the phone and later set up one-to-one sessions if the callers are willing. In crisis situations, we alert the nearby community members and ensure legal and medical support. But there are people who completely go off the radar after the first call, leaving us no provision for follow-ups,” he says.
It is not just community members who call, but there are friends, family members and even teachers who are clueless when it comes to queer sexuality. “Recently we got a call from a mother whose daughter was diagnosed intersex after a chromosome test. The mother, daughter and even the doctors had no idea how to handle the situation,” he adds.
According to scholar J. Devika, most of the sexual minorities are denied basic human rights resulting in increased levels of emotional distress. “There are parents who lock their children or take them to quacks who employ barbaric methods to correct their orientation. Healing from years of suppression is not an easy process and often they sink deeper into depression. There are different manifestations of the condition ranging from anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, insomnia, and trust issues,” she says.
Ms. Devika adds that the worst part is they hardly receive any proper, timely or effective medical intervention. “Counsellors, who are expected to help the sexual minorities, are more interested in reinforcing the dominant template of morality. In a recent incident, a school counsellor revealed the gay identity of a student to his parents and teachers leading to complications,” she says.
Mr. Prijith agrees that the community still lacks a reliable and sensitised body to address their mental health issues.
“The only government counselling centre we have is under the AIDS Control Society. They have no counsellors and the nursing staff are inefficient in handling such cases. Moreover, the community members are apprehensive about opening up in front of strangers. Though we are not trained professionals they are more comfortable with the helpline volunteers as we belong to the community,” he says.
The Queerythm helpline 9745545559 is available in English, Malayalam, and Tamil.
