Campus Initiatives
Campus initiatives for LGBTQIA+ students and staff in India include student groups, study circles and online/offline discussion forums. Besides such groups, LGBTQIA+ friendly spaces and resources may exist on campuses that offer academic programs in gender or sexuality studies, literature, or LGBTQIA+ inclusive social work studies. Examples of campuses with such academic programs include: Delhi University, Jadavpur University, National Law School of India University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and University of Pune.
Ambar, IIT Kharagpur
Founded in January 2009, Ambar is an informal Gender and Sexual diversity resource group for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) community residing in IIT Kharagpur Campus and/or officially associated with IIT Kharagpur. https://wiki.metakgp.org/w/Ambar
Anchor, BITS Pilani
Anchor is a BITSian-only group for queer, questioning and supporting members: the first of its kind on the Pilani, Rajasthan, campus. It acts as a resource for the Pilani, Goa and Hyderabad campuses. Started in March 2013, Anchor is online at https://www.facebook.com/AnchorBITSPilani
Breaking Barriers, Tagore International School, Delhi
Started in 2013, Breaking Barriers is, to our knowledge, the first high school- based LGBTQI initiative in India: check out this Orinam blogpost. For more information, contact shivanee _at_ tagoreint.com and visit the Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/1kIRwtb.
Gender and Sexuality Forum, NALSAR
The Gender and Sexuality Forum located at NALSAR Law University in Hyderabad is primarily an academic discussion group that brings together students who engage in conversations on issues ranging from sexual identity to sexual harassment and assault. It has a facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/258104242031/?fref=ts
Indradhanu, IIT Delhi
Indradhanu is the Sexual And Gender Minorities Support group of Indian Institute of Technology – Delhi. It advocates for the rights of gender and sexual minorities for a more inclusive campus. On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IndradhanuIITD
Prism, SRM University
Prism was founded on October 4, 2014. It is SRM University’s unofficial Queer-Straight Alliance advocating equality and awareness among students and staff on issues relating to LGBTQ people. On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/prismsrmlgbtqa
Queer Campus – Bangalore, New Delhi, Hyderabad
QueerCampus (QC), based in New Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, is set of independent queer student and youth collectives active since 2010. QC provides a comfortable space to meet new people, discuss everything and anything – from coming out to breaking-up, the latest queer film to plans of changing the World – or offer a shoulder to cry on and friends to celebrate with! QC organizes events which are free and open to all. Check out the respective hyperlinked FB groups for information on each QC and its programs.
Queer IISc
Started in 2000, Queer IISc is the oldest campus group of its kind in India, and is located at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Members include students, staff and alumni. For more information email [email protected]. Access online forum at http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/queeriisc
Saathi
Saathi is an informal support group for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual , Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) community residing in IIT Bombay Campus and/or officially associated with IIT Bombay. The group is meant to be a safe space for people who’re still coming to terms with themselves and their sexuality and/or are confused. The group can be a great place to make friends with people who are facing or have faced challenges similar to your own and can be a place to debate, discuss, understand and argue about various stuff, need not be just on LGBTQ isssues.
Website : http://www.saathi-iitb.org/
Samvad, EFLU Gender and Sexuality Forum
Samvad is the gender and sexuality forum at English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. It takes up issues related to gender and/or sexuality in this campus, ranging from sexual harassment to repressive administrative decisions. Samvad organizes cultural events, film screenings, academic discussions and sensitization campaigns each month, apart from working on issues that the participants of this university approach it with. Samvad positions itself in solidarity with other ongoing struggles fought on multiple and intersecting axes of gender, sexuality, caste, class, identity. For more details, mail Samvad at: [email protected] or visit its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/samvad.eflu
Spectra, Pondicherry University
Founded on Independence Day, August 15 2014, Spectra is a collective for queers and allies in PU. It is an attempt to create a safe space for talking about matters that concern us. Access online forum at https://www.facebook.com/spectra.pu or email spectra.pu_at_gmail.com
Students against Campus Homophobia, Kolkata
An initiative of Kolkata-based medical college faculty Dr. Tirthankar Guha Thakurta, SACH is an initiative to unite students and teachers who support LGBT rights and will act against homophobia. Students and teachers from any university/ college/ school can be a part of it. Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/email.sach/members/
TechQC, Coimbatore
Founded on Oct 5, 2020, TechQC is the Queer Collective at PSG College of Technology for LGBTQ persons and survivors of sexual assault. Check out their Insta page at https://www.instagram.com/psgtechqc/
Unmukt, IIT Kanpur
Started in Feb 2013, Unmukt is IIT Kanpur’s initiative for healthy gender and sexual expression on campus. Access online forum at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unmukt-IIT-Kanpur/349808491803851
Vannam, IIT Madras
Started in June 2014, Vannam is an IIT Madras campus initiative for LGBT students. Access online forum at https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/vannam-iitm.
Please help us add to this page by letting us know of other campus initiatives in India.