Queerythm’s 24x7 helpline for the LGBTQI community, started on November 20, 2017, has received 2,354 calls till June 24 this year from community members seeking help for a range of issues ranging from depression and suicidal tendencies to sexual abuse, bullying, legal problems, family issues, relationships, and so on.
With services in Malayalam, English, Hindi, and Tamil, it is managed by the Queerythm members – Prijith P.K., Bharathan Iyer, Akhil K.K., and Syama S. Prabha.
“It is probably the only fully active LGBT helpline in the country. We get calls from other States and abroad too,” says Prijith.
Emotional support
“People of all ages speak to us for hours at a time for emotional and other support. One call is rarely enough. They speak about their families, stress from hiding their real selves, or express thoughts about committing suicide…they may have friends and family but are still alone,” says Bharathan.
Some people leading closeted lives call up to relieve their stress at hiding their real identity. Quite a few say they are on the verge of suicide. “One person in the Gulf region did not want to reveal his identity. He loved to dress up as a transwoman, but there was always the fear of letting something slip and imminent discovery, and this would bring on bouts of depression. Every day, he would speak to me for half an hour to vent his emotions,” says Bharathan.
However, there are many there who want to come out of the closet. “One person wanted to come out to his colleagues as he could no longer reconcile living in another identity. But the consequences of such a move in the Gulf region could be fatal. Nor could he come back to the country owing to his financial situation. The helpline became the sole solace for him,” says Bharathan.
The helpline does constant follow-ups. “Besides calling us, we tell them to message us on WhatsApp. Then, there are text messages and those on Facebook , and at times, some call us on our personal numbers. These are not listed under the helpline support.”
Stress factor
The stress of handling the helpline is not little. Earlier, there was only one person who handled the calls. Now, the calls are shared. People, totally stressed and often suicidal, ring in the middle of the night.
“After attending such calls and maybe giving them hope, we end up calling up each other to talk, just to ease the pressure we start experiencing. The next day too, we lose sleep, waiting to see if the person calls up again.”
At times, they are unable to contact the callers for follow-ups. Some may be pretty desperate and call from a number that is not active later, and they are left wondering if the caller is even alive.
Often, in the wake of repeated calls, the Queerythm members ask the callers to get in touch with counsellors or other professionals. “However, they feel no one understands or can help them better than what we do,” says Bharathan. The team limits itself to counselling, while calls that need more serious intervention are routed to a couple of doctors. However, they believe that to counsel LGBTQI people, LGBTQI counsellors are required.
