Coronavirus Relief For LGBTQ+ Community in India

Thank you for the wonderful support to our request for helping transgenders in ANdhra Pradesh during the Covid19 Pandemic conditions.

We have been able to reach more than 200 members of the transgender and other LGBTQ communities by way of distributing groceries and other essential items. The local government officials extended great cooperation in identification of eligible beneficiaries and distribution of groceries in a seamless manner. 

Together with other sources, we have been able to raise more than $1500. 

In addition to providing disaster relief, we have also been helping some of the transgenders in rebuilding their own lives. Most of them were begging in the open and causing inconvenience to people at large. The community has been facing a lot of apathey and hostility from the mainstream society.

To help them come out of this predicament, we have been encouraging them to set up small enterprises like tailoring, vegetable vending and selling tea and other beverages. 

The response has been very encouraging. It is heartening to see people who were earlier avoiding them are now utilizing their services. 

Ever since the onset of Covid 19, LGBTQ Community all over the world  has been facing the dual issies of the Pandemic and Stigma.

Let me explain with the help of a case. 

Rajitha is a transgender who earns income by singing and dancing in stage shows and also through begging in the streets from people who have some celebration at home (like birthdays or weddings). her income has been hit hard. She says, “I decided that instead of begging, I want to do a full-time job. But, now when my talent has been recognised, there is no job in the market. Even if we go for begging, we don’t make as much as we used to as coronavirus has impacted the economy as well and everyone is struggling to make ends meet.”

The transgenders Union has been pleading with a lot of NGOs to make a donation of Grceory Packs or show them some employment. Some funding agencies and people like you have made a donation. We covered more than 1200 transgenders in 4 districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Because of the stigma attached, these people have not been able to get back to normal lives even after Covid19 subsided. 

More support to this campaign will help more LGBTQ+ members stand on their feet.