First Lesbian Helpline

India’s first dedicated helpline for les­bians, started by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation in Chennai, is proving to be a global success.

India’s first dedicated helpline for les­bians, started by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation in Chennai, is proving to be a global success.

India’s first dedicated helpline for les­bians, started by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation in Chennai on 7 February, is proving to be a global success. It gets as many as 1,050 calls a day from across the world. Of them, at least 100 calls come from Chennai. Two les­bians are among the 10 volun­teers who counsel call­ers every day. “Had such a helpline or some form of counselling been available 10 years ago, my life would have been much easier,” says Ramadevi, a 28-year-old les­bian from Kerala. “Our aim is to protect lesbians from com­mitting suicide. We strive to end their isolation, ill-treat­ment and social stigma,’’ says ICWO founder secretary AJ Hariharan, who has been running a helpline for gays for the last 10 years.

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