“Just because I looked different, the people in my former workplace thought it was okay to ask me uncomfortable questions or touch me anywhere,” says 30-year-old Anu Luna who works as a banker in Bengaluru. Born and raised in Visakhapatnam, Anu, for years struggled with gender dysphoria. She was often met with transphobic attitude and discrimination. It was only after she got in touch with queer support groups like Transgender India or PeriFerry, that her life changed for better.
“These support organisations not only help you accept your reality but also get you employed in inclusive workplaces. They conduct workshops and awareness programmes that sensitise people. My workplace has gender neutral washrooms, which makes me feel heard,” says Anu who landed her current job with the help of PeriFerry.
From providing people of the transgender community a platform to seek help to assisting them with employment opportunities, several organisations across the country have stepped up to help the transgender community. Here are some of them:
PeriFerry
PeriFerry, a Chennai-based start-up derives its name from the word periphery. “We relate this word to the people who are living on the edges — and how we could act as a ferry and help them get to their desired destinations,” reads their website. The organisation was started in 2017 by Neelam Jain.
“While there were a few LGBT organisations in India, no one was actively working to improve their socio-economic conditions. A large portion of the community depended on begging or sex work for their livelihood. The trans professionals faced considerable harassment in their places of work once their identity was known,” says Neelam.
With a core team of 10, the organisation works as a consultancy agency for the trans community. “We connect them with our client organisations to get them into suitable positions,” she explains. The organisation has placed their members in jobs across fields like hospitality, retail, beauty, manufacturing, banking and IT.
The organisation can be reached at connect@periferry.com
Transgender India
Several organisations that work for the welfare of the queer community reach out to PeriFerry for placing their members. One of theseis Transgender India, an online support group for the community. Started in 2014 by Neysara who identifies herself as a transwoman, the website aims at providing a platform to initiate a dialogue. “We have a chat window on our site that is called Talk Transgender India, where people can reach out and seek help,” she says.
The website puts out articles about day-to-day matters that address issues from legal methods and ways to officially change name and gender, to problems faced by trans peoplewhile passing through airport security. “The articles are usually experience-based pieces,” says Neysara who also regularly contributes to this section. She adds that the website has been extremely helpful to the members from rural areas. “We connect them to the nearest trans-friendly doctor or psychiatrist. The transition period is extremely stressful and confusing and any kind of help is welcome. Through the chat section, we try to do this,” says Neysara.
The organisation can be reached at transgenderindia.com
Humsafar Trust
Mumbai-based Humsafar Trust is working towards providing healthcare. Started in 1994, Humsafar wanted to support gay men, male sex workers and transgenders. Their main focus was to create awareness about HIV. Almost after two decades, this year, the organisation opened the country’s first HIV treatment centre and clinic for the queer community.
“Until now we had conducted tests at our centre and refer patients to Sion Hospital, if the results were positive. However, we noticed a sharp drop out rate among the patients. So we decided to start a clinic right here in our office,” says Ashok Rowkavi, chairperson of The Humsafar Trust.
The clinic is a one-stop centre for diagnosing, providing pills, carrying out tests and assessment. The centre also provides Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART). ART is the use of HIV medicines for treatmentand is recommended for patients infected with virus. The organisation conducts workshops for corporate houses, sensitising them about gender plurality and inclusivity..
The organisation can be reached at +91-22-26673800
