Swabhava (estd. 1999) works to provide access to support services for people who are identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, hijra, asexual and other gender and sexuality identities (LGBTQIA+).  Over the years, Swabhava has provided LGBT people access to a wide range of services including for health, legal, social support, and others. A few Bangalore-based support groups for LGBT people use our office for meetings and workshops. More details can be found on http://swabhava.org

As one of Bangalore’s many NGOs working with and exploring intersections between sexuality, gender, health and mental health, Swabhava started work by setting up the SAHAYA Helpline Services, which has offered counselling to thousands of individuals and also trained hundreds of counsellors, doctors, lawyers, other NGOs etc. We also helped set up the Bangalore Queer Film Festival (2009), help organise Pride events, particularly on mental health and supporting parents of LGBTQIA+ every year in November.

 SAHAYA Telephone Helpline (call 91-80-22230959) has offered free telephonic counselling for over 20 years now.  We also provide training support on diversity inclusion policies, are involved in action-based research projects in areas such as discrimination, medicalisation and mental health among LGBTQIA+ people etc. We are also involved in advocacy for human rights.

All of our work, has been non-funded and dependent entirely on donations. You can help us sustain this work by donating to our cause. Please contact us for more information on swabhavatrust@gmail.com