In the face of strong discrimination, we, the members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities in India or of Indian origin, choose to counter ignorance with information, and hatred with love and patience. We stand united in the face of cultures and practices that privilege heterosexuality, and wreak emotional, physical and spiritual violence on those who do not conform to the norm.

We are variously discriminated against and ignorantly regarded by many as mentally ill, as harbingers of moral and sexual degradation, as enemies of traditional family values, etc. In truth, we are none of these. Our loves and identities fall outside of the norm of exclusive male-female desires, gender identities and expectations, and are reviled as unnatural and foreign. However these loves and identities are natural to us and have existed since ancient times in our own cultures. That we are not contained within the common definitions of permissible sexuality and gender expressions does not make us abnormal, sick or depraved, and even more importantly, undeserving of equal human rights.

Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender alienates many of us from our homes and families, making us a minority even within our own families. Moreover, as romantic attractions, sexual orientations and gender-identities are important aspect of all our lives, these criss-cross with gender, class, caste and ideology-based identities. Irrespective of one's other identities and affiliations, being of alternative sexuality or variant gender, in a world of compulsory heterosexuality and rigid gender norms, can be deeply alienating. We do not want our sexualities to be battlegrounds for discrimination, abuse and violence.

At a time when visibility of LGBT people and issues is rising in India, when we are no more the invisible minority that we used to be,

*we appeal to our families and friends:*

- to treat us with the same respect and understanding that is extended to other members of family and friends
- to value our desires as natural and normal and not to subject us to subtle and pronounced discrimination by dismissing or ridiculing those desires
- to treat us as fully functional persons and not as exclusively sexualized objects
- to allow us the freedom to choose our sexual expression in terms of mannerisms, attire, social circles, romantic and life partners, etc.
- to not to force us into heterosexual marriages against our wishes
- to treat as equals despite conflicting claims from your faith, political ideology or personal beliefs

*we appeal to health-care providers:*

- not to try to change our sexual orientations or gender-identities by reparative therapy or other means.
- not to allow your own personal belief systems and judgments get in the way of offering sound and ethical medical advice
- to adhere to internationally accepted standards of care in providing sex-reassignment surgery for transgender people seeking sex-reassignment.
- to ensure that healthcare settings provide an atmosphere of sensitivity and non-judgmental understanding towards LGBT people, including patients, colleagues and other staff
- to include content pertaining to sexual orientation and gender-identity issues in professional training programs
- to work towards zero tolerance for homophobia, biphobia and transphobia

*we appeal to the media and film industries:*

- to be fair, inclusive and responsible in telling our stories, and in portrayals of diverse communities
- not to perpetuate stereotypes, myths and misinformation about our lives.
- not to invisibilize us and our issues

*we appeal to educational institutions and policy makers:*

- to provide non-discriminatory environments for LGBT students
- to penalize bullying, ragging, and sexual harassment regardless of the students' sexual orientation, gender or gender-identity
- to support non-judgmental safer-sex educational programs that include modules on alternative sexual orientations and gender identities.

*we appeal to businesses:*

- to ensure equality in the workplace in terms of policies, benefits and workplace climate
- to include sexual orientation and gender identity issues in diversity training for staff
- to not tolerate discrimination and abuse of LGBT people and punish these strongly and swiftly

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