The Rainbow Home

There is a lack of safe space, a rescue cum shelter home with basic facilities for LGBTQI individuals who are abandoned by their families due to their sexual orientation/gender identity. No formal support exists for community members out on the streets who easily fall prey to forced sex work, drugs, blackmailing and other illegal activities resulting in to loss of education, carrier and livelihood opportunities.

Indian Life experiences show that majority of LGBTQIA+ communities are subjected to stigma and discrimination by their family members when they come out with their sexual orientation and gender identity, worst many are subjected to domestic violence and are thrown out of their own homes, with little or no resources and support and nowhere to go a lot of community members are highly vulnerable to social, financial, mental and sexual exploitation from both within and outside the communities. Corrective rapes within the family are common when young women come out with their lesbian identity or as trans men, similarly attempting to murder transgender youth to protect ‘family honour’ is also common in many parts of the country. A strong stigma is attached to being gay even though same sex relationships are decriminalized by the law.

We want to establish a rescue cum shelter and rehabilitation home with a capacity for 10 individuals with facilities like helpline, counselling & mental health services, legal aid, shelter, food, clothing, skill development for livelihood opportunities, linkages with corporates and other agencies for job provision. The maximum duration of stay for any beneficiary at the home would be up to a period of three years during which services related to general and mental health, social security, skill-building and education will be provided. 

We wish to create a conducive environment where communities feel Safe, happy and at home! Through this work, we want to reduce the incidents of violence and exploitation of LGBTQIA+ communities at homes and out on the streets. We want to see more independent and self-reliant communities taking up mainstream jobs. We want communities to be self-assertive on their gender identity and sexual orientation and increase the uptake of social protection and gender identity services through this project. Overall a safe and secured home that members of the queer community looks up to when faced by challenging times, a space that ensures the physical, social and overall wellbeing of its rainbow residents.