LGBTQ+ helplines and support organisations in India, by city

A list you can hand to a friend. Organisations first, then the national numbers. We are not affiliated with any of them and we do not pass them anybody's details.

Contact details change. Search the organisation's name for its current number and hours before you rely on it; we have deliberately not printed phone numbers for organisations here, because a wrong number on a crisis page is worse than none. If you run one of these and want a correction, write to us.

National, any time

• 112 — police, fire, ambulance. Any emergency.
• 1930 / cybercrime.gov.in — cybercrime, including sextortion and blackmail.
• 14416 — Tele-MANAS — the government mental-health helpline, free, 24 hours, in over twenty languages. Ask for a counsellor; you do not have to say why.
• 181 — the women's helpline; takes calls from trans women.
• 1098 — Childline, for anyone under 18.

Mumbai

• The Humsafar Trust — the oldest LGBTQ+ organisation in the country. Counselling, a crisis line, legal support, health services, and Yaariyan, its youth collective.
• Sweekar — a support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children. If you are thinking about coming out to your family, this is who to point them at afterwards.

Delhi NCR

• Naz Foundation (India) Trust — the petitioner in the original 377 case. Health, counselling, and legal referrals.
• Nazariya — a queer feminist resource group; counselling and community for queer women and trans people.
• Mitr Trust — a trans-led organisation running shelter and support for transgender people.

Bengaluru

• Sangama — long-running organisation for sexual minorities and sex workers; crisis support and legal aid.
• Solidarity Foundation — supports trans people and sex workers, with a focus on livelihoods.
• Good As You — a support group that has met weekly for over twenty years. The place to go if you simply want to be in a room with other queer people.

Chennai

• Orinam — a collective and an exceptionally good website of resources, including a directory of queer-affirming therapists and lawyers in Tamil Nadu.
• Sahodaran — health and support for men who have sex with men and trans people.

Kolkata

• Sappho for Equality — for lesbian, bisexual women and trans men; counselling, legal support and a crisis line.
• Varta Trust — publishing and a helpline directory for eastern India.

Hyderabad

• Mobbera Foundation — community events, mental-health support and a helpline for the Telugu states.

Pune

• Samapathik Trust — support and health services, one of the oldest in Maharashtra outside Mumbai.

Kerala

• Queerala — the state's main LGBTQ+ collective; support in Malayalam, and a legal aid network.

Gujarat

• Lakshya Trust (Vadodara, Surat) and Vikalp (Vadodara) — support, health and community.

Legal aid, anywhere

• Most of the organisations above can refer you to a lawyer who knows queer cases. Ask for that specifically.
• District Legal Services Authorities exist in every district and provide free legal aid; they are not queer-specific and quality varies, but they are a right.

Counselling

• iCall (run by TISS, Mumbai) — psychosocial counselling by phone and email, explicitly queer-affirming.
• Vandrevala Foundation — a 24-hour mental-health line.
• Orinam's therapist directory (above) is the best-curated list of affirming therapists in the country.

If you would like your organisation listed, or a listing corrected, write to us. There is no charge and no condition.